Well, January certainly happened, didn't it? I think I'm quite ready to move on to February, which I think I shall consider the start of the new year, since I haven't really been on the ball yet for the past month.February will be the Virtual Incarnation of my local Foolscap convention, a small genre convention with a theme for 2021 of We Can Make It! We're celebrating all the things we've done, created, and maintained during this crazy year, and of course, we are doing it virtually this year because we're still in a pandemic. Come join us for some talks about books, about art, about writing, and about reading all the things while we've been at home. It's the weekend of February 12-13th if anyone wants to check us out!
I'm still caught up with WandaVision; Alexander and I text each other while watching from our respective homes. This week we saw what's been happening from outside Wanda's town, so our set of questions has shifted. And I need to cut back on the amount of popcorn I'm making because I'm the only one eating it, although I'm sure my son appreciates it when I text him about how good it is.
I did a lot of laundry of sheets, which are very quick to fold, so I'm only partway through episode 2.20 of Star Trek Voyager. I also cheated one night and watched some of Nailed It (Mexico) because I like watching people fail at cooking. I did not fail last week -- I made a tasty lasagna soup that provided me with lunch for the week as well, and a spicy Thai Shrimp thing that I sent my niece back to college with.
I keep picking up books but I'm slow to finish them. My currently reading is still 28.
The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called "It's Monday! What Are You Reading" so I'll sign up there. Ditto for the children's lit version at either Teach Mentor Texts or Unleashing Readers.
Started
What the Eagle Sees, Eldon Yellowhorn, Kathy Lowinger. 2020 Cybils nonfiction nominee.
Punching the Air, Ibi Zoboi. 2020 Cybils finalist.
Penric's Demon, Lois McMaster Bujold. I'm trying the audios. Of course, I have to go somewhere in my car to get through them...
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Ursula Vernon. I want something to read on my ipad.
The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline. January Sword & Laser pick.
Midnight Sun, Stephanie Meyer. What was Edward thinking?
Completed
What the Eagle Sees, Eldon Yellowhorn, Kathy Lowinger. 2020 Cybils nonfiction nominee. A history of North America (mostly Canada ans the US) told from the Indigenous perspective, without the assumption of European conquerors having the right to take everything. It pauses occasionally to ask the reader to imagine themselves into different situations, or to look at how different communities viewed the same events. I found myself a little uncomfortable with the idea that the two peoples are completely different races; I'm not as sure that ancestry is that big a deal (in which I differ from a lot of adult) but I did appreciate the lesson in how perspective changes the meaning of history.
Taking on the Plastics Crisis, Hannah Testa. 2020 Cybils nominee. This is a brief memoir of an activist, written by a teen. She starts with the memory of her speech before the Georgia legislature about the dangers of plastic pollution and goes back to her first works of activism in her elementary years. It's an interesting description of what kids can accomplish, and what needs to be done because of various environmental crises looming ahead of us. I think this is the book that finally convinces me to stop using plastic straws, even if I forgot my own.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown, Talia Hibbert. For my Cloudy Book Club and it also fit in the Romance Series I just rediscovered -- the January theme is Own Voices. Well, I was too late for the Romance Series but I'm in good time for my Cloudy book club. This is a lightweight romance, funny but silly, with not a lot behind the froth. Her problem is a bizarre but deeply held ridiculous emotional solution to avoid emotional pain through avoiding all emotional commitment. He doesn't have a relationship problem but also works on some of his anxiety issues, particularly around processing a family tragedy. They are both madly in lust with each other from the first page, and there's no real development in their feelings, so the book is about the crazy situations they fall into (they fake date!) while she throws invented obstacles in the path of their love. It's officially a diverse book -- she's black, he's Muslim and Asian, but it reads like any other mainstream modern romance in tone and affect. So good for representation but not what I personally am looking for in an Own Voices book; for that I want something that feels a bit out of the mainstream (like Deadly Sexy by Beverley Jenkins, for example).
Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs. There's a new one coming out soon, so I need to finish up the old. Or reread some more. Briggs is doing a good job juggling all the complexity of a long-running series, where Mercy has a plethora of old friends and enemies, various relationships in motion that the author has to remember and the reader has to get gently reminded of. Luckily for me I enjoy rereading these often enough that I can usually stay on top of things, and I like Mercy's snarky but competent voice. I do wonder what Tad does during the days he isn't helping Mercy out; I'm a bit worried about him.
Bookmarks Moved (Or Languished) In:
My wall of currently-reading books continues to have a pleasing shape!
Uncompromising Honor 50/??, David Weber. Baen Free Radio Hour's serial. Hey, this episode didn't download! I had to go jiggle it.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James. Sword and Laser pick. Didn't touch it.
A Long Time Until Now, Michael Z Williamson. Didn't touch it.
Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Didn't touch it.
The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein, Farah Mendelson. Hugo finalist. Ha! I put it on my ipad and got back to it.
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton. Made some progress.
Someplace To Be Flying, Charles de Lint. Didn't touch it.
The Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum. Didn't touch it.
Return of the Thief, Megan Whalen Turner. Still stressed. I care about these people and they are getting hurt!
The Wine-Dark Sea, Patrick O'Brien. My previous Tuesday book club book. Didn't touch it.
An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole. Made some progress.
Sucker Punch, Laurell K. Hamilton. I guess it's character growth that now she occasionally recognizes when she's being completely unprofessional? It's cute when she carefully explains it to herself, the reader, and any other characters standing around, and they all nod as if now they have a chance to understand it.
La Perdida, Jessica Abel. Cybils finalist. Dragging myself through. The main character is a terrible friend, a terrible flatmate, not a very good sibling, and not a very good girlfriend.
One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission that Flew Us to the Moon, Charles Fishman. For my Tuesday night book club. How did he have a whole chapter on computers and not mention any women?
Seven Sisters, Lucinda Riley. Because my mom and aunt recommended it. And now the library wants it back just as I got into it!
Picture Books / Short Stories:
What About Worms?, Ryan T. Higgins. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. I liked the emotionally valid range of the tiger, and his problem with worms, and then the final pages where you get the worms' point of view would have amused my kids as new readers.
The Camping Trip, Jennifer K. Mann. 2020 Cybils Picture Book Finalist. This really brought the details of camping with children to life! Sadly, I dislike camping, and really dislike being the adult who has to make camping fun for kids, so I appreciated that it was a very good book and did not enjoy reading it at all. I enjoyed reading it and judging it purely personally instead of fairly!
Cat Has a Plan, Laura Gehl. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. This is the most basic Easy Reader, down to providing a complete list of words used in the book at the start. It was a bit too reminiscent of the dull Basil readers the school sent home for us to wade through before moving onto to real reading. The sibling-esqe fight over the plushie is resolved through consumerism, which amuses me but is not a good moral.
King and Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor, Dori Hillestad Butler. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. This felt like an actual chapter book -- it's a big step up from most of the others. I like them as first mysteries for kids, and the way that the dog knows all by Kayla only gets what the humans speak. And I like that the adult apologizes when the investigation shows that he was unfair.
Mr Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans, Cynthia Rylant. 2009 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. I have a sentimental attraction to this one because my younger son really liked the Mr Putter & Tabby books when he was learning to read, so I can hear his voice in my ear as I read this one (2009 would have been after his early-reader rears, so we didn't read this one). I like the old people in a kids book, and I liked the play on "spill the beans", and I liked the happy ending in the ice cream shop.
Ty's Travels, Kelly Starling Lyons. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. A cosy story of a young boy with a loving but busy family, and how his imagination brings them together. I liked the shift in illustrations from the realistic ones in his house to the child-like version of his imaginary journey. This would be a fun share read, although the focus is on Ty rather than the relationships so his is the main personality.
The Best Seat in First Grade, Katharine Kenah. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. I liked the small mystery about whether Sam is making up the elephant story, and how the other student's initial disbelief and later understanding is never quite made explicit although it comes across very plainly. Of course, part of me is complaining that it's cruel to keep elephants in zoos...
Palate Cleansers
These books I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.
The Educated Child, William Bennett.
Wool, Hugh Howey.
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho.
Under the Eye of the Storm, John Hersey.
Dates From Hell, Kim Harrison & others. Strange science fiction gizmo that does stuff. I like that in a story.
Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca. Other ways to evaluate children's skills.
Reading Challenges
- Cybils 2020. OK, the post is messy but up, and I'm reading the short ones first. Oh, and I started Punching the Air and it's depressing.
- Cybils 2019. On my shelf!
- Cybils 2018.
- Cybils 2017. None. I just need 3 YA books to be done. But YA is hard.
- Early Cybils: A picture book, and slogging my way through a graphic novel.
- KCLS 10 To Try: 0/10
- Reading My Library. Nothing.
- Where Am I Reading: 33/51 states. Wow, I don't think I've finished checking all the 2020 books. I should get on that.
I'm putting this at the end because I suspect it's complete fiction, but I feel I should attempt some structure.
I am reading:
- Book I own: Return of the Thief. Next: A Deadly Education
- Library Book: Sucker Punch. Next: Midnight Sun
- Ebook I own: Baker's Guide to Defensive Magic. Up Next: Extraordinary Union.
- Library Ebook: Luminaries. Next: Bourne Factor
- Book Club Book: Marrow Thieves Next: The Chai Factor
- Tuesday Book Club Book: One Giant Leap. Next/also: Somewhere To Be Flying. Still haven't finished Wine Dark Sea.
- Review Book: None. Up Next: Not sure.
- Hugo Book: The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein. Next: Joanna Russ.
- Rereading: None. Up Next. I'm thinking more K.J. Charles but who knows...
2 comments:
OH NOOOOOO! Don't tell me your stressed about Return of the Thief. I'm determined to read it this year, but I've finally made up my mind -- I'm definitely going to re-read books 1-5. A couple months ago, Chirp offered all five of them (as audiobooks) for between $4 and $5 each, so I bought them all. That'll be a quick way for me to remember the story while I work around the house. Can't wait! And on One Giant Leap, I agree on HOW IN THE WORLD can you not mention any women when it comes to moon mission and computers. Whoa. Have a great week, Beth!
I liked What the Eagle Sees so much I went and read the first book the two of them wrote about history from an Indigenous perspective. I was gobsmacked by The Marrow Thieves so I'll be looking forward to finding out what you think of it.
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