This week I was organized and responsible. I went to several book clubs, all prepared with the books completed. I signed my will. A friend and I toured through the MoPop museum, which I had booked using the library free museum pass benefit. I got new running shows and made progress on incorporating a movement habit into my day, a practice that somehow fell by the wayside this past year. I even managed to give blood and see a movie, and then I talked to a doctor about my rising blood pressure and we came up with a plan to manage it. And then the following week I’ve been super disorganized and never finish the last 5% of anything I do, including posting this tiny blog.
I think I am now reading 68 books, according to goodreads. But I’m pretty sure that I’ve just neglected to mark about 8 of them as completed.
Books Completed May 2 - May 8
Mallory and the Trouble With Twins, Ann Martin. Mallory is a very chill kid to be the oldest of eight siblings. She handles the babysit challenge of twins tired of being identical and the personal challenge of convincing her parents that she is growing up and should get more freedom. So the two plots reinforce each other pleasingly.
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire Graphic Novel, Georgia Ball, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club. Really great fire illustrations made this a good choice for trying out the graphic novel version. I also liked the b-plot about the stepfather.
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells. Reread in anticipation of the TV show. The book club poked more at the plot this time, and sometimes we helped shore it up and sometimes some holes got ripped bigger. Still a great read though.
I Survived the Great Alaskan Earthquake, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club. Not my favorite despite a great start. Not much detail on the earthquake and I felt sad that the protagonist had to give up his cool life in the woods to go to a dull town.
Tam Lin, Pamela Dean. Reread for Scintillation Bookclub, where we talked about whether it matched our college experiences (varied) and how the structure worked with the timeline, detail immersion, and introduction of fantasy elements, and how much of Janet’s flaws were repeated in the text. Great book, great discussion.
I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club. The molasses flood was cool and I liked the immigrant story wrapped around it.
Tinker, Wen Spencer. Baen Free Radio Hour podcast usually ends with a short installment of an audio book, sometimes only a few minutes, sometimes up to twenty. It’s like being read a bedtime story by someone who is a real stickler for bedtime. It does work better when it’s a book I know and live, and I’m sorry to see Tinker end. Now to see what they’ve been reading next! (I’m a few months behind on the podcast).
Serpent Rider, Yxavel Magno Diño. This was a Cybils nominee that I started but didn’t get traction on. I found myself struggling with many decisions by many of the people, which didn’t seem to match with their importance. And the basic premise wasn’t good for my adult eyes — a (non-boarding) training academy where the kids eventually get powerful magical companions, but everyone does training and competitions together, which makes the kids who get their companions late constant losers and easily bullied, and the beloved (?) trainers encourage this. It’s a relief when the quest part starts, but I never trusted any of the adults.
Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hugo finalist. Someone was asking for a non-depressing pick for their next Hugo read, and midway through I said this one was depressing but funny. Which held true but by the end I was feeling rather preached at.
Logan Likes Mary Anne, Babysitter’s Club Graphic Novel #8, Gail Galligan. I like this as I liked the text version. This one was much less complex but still charming.
Wimpy Kid 12: The Getaway, Jeff Kinney. Talbot book club. The odd thing about this one is that the ageless Jeff is sorta in the time the book was written but sorta still in the past where the series started. So travel details are weird. It’s a mix of funny and too-mean-to work humor for me, but probably hits better for the target audience.
Books Started
Logan Likes Mary Anne, Babysitter’s Club Graphic Novel #8, Gail Galligan. I’m on a roll.
Wimpy Kid 12: The Getaway, Jeff Kinney. Talbot book club.
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire Graphic Novel, Georgia Ball, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club.
I Survived the Great Alaskan Earthquake, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club.
I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club.
Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne. Romance book club (spies).
Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells. Prepare for TV show.
Playlist For the Apocalypse, Rita Ball. Bedtime poems.
Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist.
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick.
Bookmarks Moved
Alibi, Sharon Shinn
Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)
Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams
Rissa Kerguelen, F.M Busby
Eat a Peach, David Chang
I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, David Okrent
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell
Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison
Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe
Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulos
Bookmarks Languished
I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.
Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.
Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.
Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman.
Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.
Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann.
Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.
True Colors, Abby Cooper.
South Riding, Winifred Holtby.
Saving Verakko, Victoria Avelina.
Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford
Picture Books and Short Stories
None.
Books on Slow Mode
Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. How to shop for produce and meat, which I can forget because I do drive-up-and-go.
At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Less bureaucracy, more ship wrecks here.
50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.
The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe. No, I remember the characters now.
War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. I don’t like spectator sports much.
Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Making reading analysis fun.
Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to November.
Future Plans
This is for the actual future, so a week beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.
I am reading:
- Book I own: Exadelic
- Library Book: When the Moon Hits Your Eye
- Ebook I own: Alibi
- Foolscap Book Club Book: Watership Downs
- Sword and Laser Club Book: Micky7
- Scintillation Book Club: London In Chains
- Cloudy Book Club: A Dark and Drowning Tide
- Torches and Pitchfork Book Club: Death From the Skys!
- River Runs Under It Book Club: Demon Copperhead
- Talbot Hill Book: Party Time! No Book.
- Friday Book Club: The Road to Roswell
- Romance Book Club: A spy romance! Beauty Like the Night
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