My Reading Frenzy

2020 Reading Reflections and Favorites

Wanting to write a post about everything I read in 2020 made me grateful for my diligence in logging everything I read on Goodreads. I was able to pull up my 2020 challenge and look at all the books I read this year, including dates and a look at the cover. I have always told my students the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies in many situations as a metaphor, but not when talking about books. Artists, marketers, and salespeople count on book covers being engaging in order to sell them to us. I am highly visual, and almost never buy a book simply for its cover, but the cover does imprint in my brain and help me remember reading it and at least a bit about it, making a walk down book-memory lane much easier. 

 

 

 

 

Here they are - My 2020 favorite reads:

In roughly in the order I read them.

• Happier at Home (eaudiobook from the library) by Gretchen Rubin - I have found valuable takeaways in all of Rubin's books, but this one hit exactly where I needed it to, when I needed it to. It was particularly prescient because I was isolated at home starting in March, not too long after finishing this listen. I was able to incorporate some of her ideas that in turn helped make staying at home less fraught with anxiety.
• Almost American Girl (purchased book) by Robin Ha - While I read this one as soon as it arrived in our library in February, it was not until August that I had the opportunity to watch an online discussion between Ha and Malaka Gharib, author of the graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream hosted by One More Page Books, an independent bookstore in Arlington, VA.
• City of Girls (egalley) by Elizabeth Gilbert - This is a work of historical fiction that takes place in 1940s New York City in the glamourous-ish theatre world. It reminded me very much of Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar with a young hero who longs to be New York theatre star. This year I also read Gilbert's Big Magic (non-fiction) about living a creative life. It just barely missed being on this list, though here it is I suppose. Ha!
• New Kid and Class Act (purchased books then gifted to my niece) by Jerry Craft - New Kid was the 2020 Newbery winner, the first for a graphic novel. Class Act is an equally thought provoking companion.
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Lori Gottlieb - Gottlieb chronicles her therapy journey after a sudden break up, while also sharing details of therapy patients she is seeing. And interesting look at therapy from both perspectives.
• The House in the Cerulean Sea (purchased book) by TJ Klune. This might be my favorite read of the year. It is one of the books I specifically sought at the beginning pandemic related isolation. The story of Linus Baker and the magical children he is seeking to help was a perfect mix of humor, heartbreak, and fantasy. I want to read it again to savor all the delights of the family they all become.  
• Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series (purchased book) by Jesse Dougherty - One of my most missed 2020 activities was baseball. We are and have been Washington Nationals fans, which made 2019 the culmination of 14 years of hopes with our first World Series win. It was tremendously disappointing to be deprived of all the celebrations that should have come at the beginning of the 2020 season. Dougherty's book came to me just when teams were cancelling spring training and the season was put on hold indefinitely. I derived great comfort from reliving the triumphant season through this book. I also had the opportunity to hear Dougherty discuss writing the book in  a live Twitter talk.
• Kingdom of the Blind (purchased book) by Louise Penny - Penny's mysteries get better and more sophisticated with every book. This one was particularly satisfying because it finished out a significant story arc. There are two books after this one, which I have not read. I try to stay a bit behind her publications so I do not run out. I have one with me in FL to read soon.
• A Banquet of Consequences (elibrary book) by Elizabeth George - I have found mysteries a great comfort during the pandemic, perhaps for the way they end with the solving of the crime. I read 8 Lynley mysteries this year, but this was my favorite.
• The Goldfinch (eaudiobook from the library) by Donna Tartt - I loved Tartt's The Secret History, I was less enamored of The Little Friend. The Goldfinch was wonderful. I listened to it because I balked at sitting with such a long book. In retrospect I would have torn through it, probably faster than I was able to listen. I had to pause twice because the audiobook was due back at the library before I could finish. In the end, I was on edge for most of it after the initial disaster, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It did, in spectacular fashion. I loved it.
• Magic Lessons (egalley) by Alice Hoffman - I saw the movie Practical Magic when it came out in 1998, having no idea it was based on a book, which I just read in 2019. I followed in 2020 with the others in the family of books, but this was my favorite, with its overtones of The Scarlet Letter.
• Untamed (eaudiobook from the library) by Glennon Doyle - This was my favorite non-fiction read/listen of the year. Doyle is amazing. She shares her own story in all her books, but somehow is also able to tap into the ways we all feel weak and not enough in our own situations, but then she offers badass wisdom to build us up. I like this one so much I also purchased this book to re-read and re-visit.
• Daevabad Trilogy (purchased books) by SA Chakraborty - Like I sometimes do, I rejected these books because they were too popular, everyone was reading them, I was going to be different. I am a fool because I LOVED them all. The benefit however of my stubborness is having been able to read all three books in a row without waiting. 
• The Year of Living Danishly (eaudiobook from the library) by Helen Russell - Having never lived outside the United States, I appreciated Russell's thorough exploration of her temporary (or so she thought) country. The book is organized by months, beginning when she arrives in January. She explores, in depth, 12 different facets of life in Denmark from work to motherhood to eating to winter to traditions. This detailed look at moving and living in another country was intriguing.
• The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (purchased book) by Garth Nix - I have raved about this one more than once. It was definitely ending up on this list.
• Return of the Thief (purchased book) by Megan Whalen Turner - While I really liked how Turner wrapped up this six book series, reading it was an important reminder that sometimes it is a good idea to re-read earlier books.
• The Witches are Coming (eaudiobook from the library) by Lindy West - I recently listened to Shit, Actually, West's most recent publication, but this one is so far my favorite of hers. I need regular feminist commentary in my life so I do not get complacent. 
• A Promised Land (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Barack Obama - I was so eager for this one, I pre-ordered the audiobook. I spent much of the book lamenting the loss of dignity and integrity in the White House. (I am looking forward to their return next week.) But I also learned about aspects of law making and running for office I had not known. 

 

What were your 2020 favorite reads?

 

Some 2020 Reading Reflections (based on all my reading, not just my favorites)

1. I need more diversity in authors, particularly in non-fiction. I don't feel I need to diversify in genre as I read:

• fantasy
• science fiction
• literary fiction
• historical fiction
• romance
• mystery
• non-fiction 

In all of the above I read adult as well as YA and some middle grade (mostly realistic). There were also MANY graphic novels and comics in my reading year. These tended to be memoirs, realistic, and fantasy. I will admit I avoid horror, thrillers, crime. They just take the intensity of a mystery up a notch too far for me. 

2. I want to try to tackle more of my TBR this year rather than jumping immediately to new publications. I make no promises about this one. If I decide however that I am most satisfied when I read newer releases, I need to cull my physical shelves of older books I may never get to. They should find a home with someone else.

 

What reflections do you have on your 2020 reading life? What are you looking forward to in 2021?

 

To picture books, with love

Many of us begin our reading lives by being read to. This is one important step in becoming a life-long reader, as is having access to books. Dolly Parton is such a strong advocate for getting books into the hands of children that she founded Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to gift books to children from birth to five years old. According to the site, 143 million books have been gifted as of August 2020. This is not the only program of this kind because being read to and having books is crucial for child development as well as future success. Reading is Fundamental is another organization that seeks to get books into the hands of all children. 

Each night before bed my brother and I were treated to a story. Sometimes two. Those times with my brother are the earliest memories I have, but I know I was being read to before he came along. I also know that having books and hearing books is what started my love of books and reading. 

We both liked the Dr. Seuss books, in particular One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Fox in Socks, both of which my father claims he can still recite. While neither of these is truly a story, they both feature rhyme and word play that I appreciate as an adult reader. In my favorite part of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish a "nook has a hook on which is a book about how to cook" and in Fox in Socks I am partial to the segment about the "tweetle beetle battle." 

There were others I favored because I enjoyed the story. One I loved and still do is Christina Katerina and the Box by Patricia Lee Gauch. It is the story of Christina and her friend Fats Watson and the days following a new refrigerator and its box coming into Christina's home. The two friends turn the box into all manner of fantastic things including a castle and a race car. 

Others I remember are The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban. We were fortunate to have many books in our home to choose from and read on our own, once we could. (Being able to choose ones own books is an important element to becoming a lover of books and reading.) I was excited to learn to read and was able to do so quickly. 

When I got to school and had access to the school library I branched out. An early favorite was The Girl who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble, which won the 1978 Caldecott Medal and depicts the story of a girl of the Plains Indians of North America. [Goble's work is generally accepted as a respectful and accurate depiction of the Plains Indians as he was "adopted into the Yakima and Sioux tribes (with the name Wakinyan Chikala, “Little Thunder”) by Chief Edgar Red Cloud" in 1959.] I checked out this beautiful story as many times in a row as I was allowed then checked it out again once other students had had a chance. I own a number of copies today.  

Another book I have fond memories of and still own is The Star Wars Storybook that I woke up early on weekend mornings to read in bed before breakfast. 

As a high school librarian I am rarely asked for picture book recommendations, but as a school librarian it is important for me to be familiar with books for all levels of readers, because not all high school students read at a high school level and I might not always be a high school librarian. I have also over the years shopped for books for friends as they became parents.

My most reliable sources for knowing what is being published are:

• School Library Journal and Booklist reviews
• Awards lists 
• Browsing in bookstores 

I try to buy books that are current and not just fall back on old favorites. I like to explore new authors when possible knowing as this post from Book Riot reasons, many of the favorites of the parents as well as those buying the books are outdated without a broad or diverse viewpoint, and more practically may be purchased many times over for a new reader. 

Some recent books I have purchased either for my library or as gifts:

	The Undefeated	Kwame Alexander & Kadir Nelson
	Hello Lighthouse	Sophie Blackall
	Maybe Something Beautiful	F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell
	Stellaluna	Janell Cannon
	Last Stop on Market Street	Matt de la Peña
	Henry Hikes to Fitchburg	D.B. Johnson
	The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore	William Joyce & Joe Bluhm
	Drawn Together	Minh Lê & Dan Santat
	Julián is a Mermaid	Jessica Love
	The Word Collector	Peter H. Reynolds
	And Tango Makes Three	Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, & Henry Cole
	Parrots Over Puerto Rico	Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore
	The House in the Night	Susan Marie Swanson & Beth Krommes
	The Insomniacs	Karina Wolf & Brothers Hilts
	What Do You Do With an Idea? What Do You Do With a Problem?What Do You Do With a Chance?	Kobi Yamada & Mae Besom

 

What are some of your favorite picture books to read and gift?

 

 

 

 

Yes, comics and graphic novels are REAL reading.

I am not the first writer, nor will I be the last to make the case for the legitimacy of comics and graphic novels as "real" reading.

• "Raising Super Readers: Benefits of Comic Books & Graphic Novels" from Scholastic 
• "The Power of Comics" from the International Literacy Association

The reason I am writing about a topic that has been addressed by experts in reading and the ways our brains get involved in different types of reading is because even colleagues of my own, high school English teachers AND librarians sometimes still want to debate if students are really benefiting when they read comics and other graphic works, which leads them to forbid graphic stories as choice or free reading in the classroom. I believe this is harmful to students who need opportunities to read what they choose rather than what has been assigned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the difference between comics and graphic novels:

from "The Power of Comics" -

"Stylistically, comics and graphic novels are very similar. Comic books are usually about 24 pages and are released in single issues usually once or twice a month. These individual books often form an ongoing story that spans several issues. Like TV shows, they are published regularly and collected in what are called trades. Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bone are all popular examples of comics.

Graphic novels are basically longer versions of comics. Usually, graphic novels tell one full story and can be a couple hundred pages long. Examples include Amulet, The Witch Boy, and Smile."

 

There is also a fabulous book called Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, who is a graphic novelist, in which he covers in great detail how visual communication works and the ways in which artists use pictures and words to convey meaning.

When I began reading comics, my first was the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. The series was published between 1989-1996, but I did not read any of them until they were complete and I could get them in trade paperback form. I like reading comics this way because I am not usually able to acquire the next installment every month and fall behind. I would prefer to read them quickly to remember the story line. The books tell the story of Dream and his fellow Endless: Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. 

I am glad I began here because these are considered a triumph in cartooning. The series won more than 26 Eisner Awards among many others. Gaiman wrote the story but a variety of artists were brought in for the visuals. This means that each comic book or chapter in the story has a different look. This makes it vital for the reader to closely engage with the art to see and "read" details important to the story. 

While visual literacy is one of the reasons comics are good for the brain, it is also where I stumbled when I first began reading. I start by reading just the words and skipping the pictures, assuming I was getting the gist of it, but I wasn't. Facial expressions, gestures, and other body language as well as background details were telling parts of the story that I was missing. It took little time for me to slow down and modify my reading style to engage fully with the story. 

I have continued to read the work of Gaiman, but have added other comics. Some of my favorites have been 

• Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
• Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
• Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell
• Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona with a changing group of additional authors
• Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and John Upchurch

Some of these are teen friendly but most are for an adult audience. 

 

When choosing graphic novels to read, I focus on those I have or will order for my high school library.

Some of my favorite authors are:

Raina Telgemeier 

Lucy Knisley

Gene Luen Yang

 

Some recent favorite books are:

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, which is a graphic memoir and was a National Book Award finalist

The March Trilogy by Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, which has won Coretta Scott King awards as well as a Robert F. Kennedy book award among others. The idea for Lewis to write about his experiences at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was prompted by "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," a comic published in 1957. 

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, a book I enjoyed but is beloved by my 10-year-old niece

New Kid by Jerry Craft, which was the winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll, which is a graphic version of Anderson's 1999 novel of the same name. It is powerful reading for any teen. 

 

It would take a novella for me to list and discuss all of the graphic novels I have read over the years, but I believe it is an important format for readers because of the need to visual literacy skills when we are surrounded by images in the news and social media. 

 

What are your favorite comics or graphic novels?

 

To travel in time, all you need is a book - about time travel.

What do the movies:

• Back to the Future (1985) and its sequels (1989 & 1990)
• The Terminator (1984)
• The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) AND
• Groundhog Day (1993)

                                                have in common?

They are all stories wholly or in part about time travel. When I searched for time travel movies I was overwhelmed by the number and shocked at how many I have not seen. Shocked because time travel is my favorite sub-genre of science fiction.  

Because this is a beloved sub-genre I have read far more time travel books than I have seen movies. 

For my reading life, the crown for Queen of Time Travel Writing is worn by two authors:

1. Connie Willis

The first I read by her was Doomesday Book (1993). The story introduced me to a group of Oxford students traveling from the 21st century. In this book, Kivrin travels to the 14th century to witness life in this harsh time. While there are moments of lightness, joy, and humor in all of Willis's books, I find her attention to historic detail to be my favorite element. I originally listened to this book, one of my earliest audiobooks (perhaps even on cassette) and it was an excellent way to experience this adventure.

I next read To Say Nothing of the Dog (1998). This one is meant to be and is hilarious. 

It has been far too long since I have read either of these, so they are on a list of books I intend to re-read. I don't re-read often because there aren't enough hours in the day for all the new books (the lament of avid readers the world over). But I will reread these.

The next I read was Firewatch (1984), a collection of short stories. I don't remember these as clearly as I would like, but the title story (1982) (or novelette, for which category it won both the 1982 Nebula and Hugo awards) (Willis has won many awards over the years, in a variety of science fiction categories.) is set in the same world as the novels I have discussed. 

This brings me to the two books I consider Willis's masterpieces: Blackout and All Clear. Both take place c. 2060 (Oh, how I wish time travel were a possibility this soon.) and during World War II. The stories are so intricately crafted that you HAVE to read them twice in order to suss out all of the brilliant hints and connections Willis peppers about. I feel confident I saw the outer web, but am fairly certain I missed at least some of the inner web. Both of these are on my current TBR shelf because I will be rereading them in 2020. I read them the first time when they were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Even just a year apart, I know I forgot or missed details I will catch when I read them back to back this fall. 

 

2. Jodi Taylor

I have read the first 8 titles in her The Chronicles of St. Mary's series: 

Just One Damned Thing After Another (2013)
A Symphony Of Echoes (2013)
A Second Chance (2014)
A Trail Through Time (2014)
No Time Like The Past (2015)
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (2015)
Lies, Damned Lies and History (2016)
And the Rest is History (2017)

I will read the others as well:

An Argumentation of Historians (2018)
Hope For the Best (2019)
Plan For the Worst (2020)
Another Time Another Place (April 2021)

While time travel is of course serious business, this series is also hilarious, romantic, thrilling, and altogether delightful to read. There is a regular cast of characters who are irresistible in their humanity which includes strengths, foibles, and passions all carefully wrought by Taylor. I rarely read this many books in one series. As a side note, Taylor's website says: "the Chronicles of St Mary’s series [is] the story of a bunch of disaster-prone historians who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel!"

There is also a spin-off series afoot that chronicles the adventures of the Time Police who do appear from time to time (pun intended) in the Chronicles of St. Mary's. 

I have read many more books featuring time travel, but I think a reader cannot go wrong starting with either of these two masters.

What are you favorite time travel books and movies?

The Book Awards I Most Often Use for Choosing What to Read Next

Recently, after reading one of my blog posts, my father contacted me to say: "Will you write about awards lists? I use them for mysteries, sci-fi, lit in general. There are many, many awards whose lists are readily available." He is right that there are many books selected each year for national, state, and local recognition. From time to time I receive an email about the long list, short list, and winners of a variety of book awards which I often forward to him because I know he gathers the titles of many books he reads from these lists. 

Other sites and blogs have extensive lists of book awards that can be searched online, so I don't want to repeat what has already been done, instead I would like to focus on a few of the awards for genres I read most and those I use to guide some of the buying I do for the students at my school.

 

 

 

 

 

The ones I am most familiar with and use for my own reading lists:

The Nebula Awards: This is one of my most eagerly anticipated lists because fantasy and science fiction are my two most-read genres. This award is decided on by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. I do wish the Nebulas would separate their YA and middle grade category into two separate awards. I think this would celebrate more books, but also, the titles really are quite different because of the age group they are written for. 

The Hugo Awards: This is also an award for fantasy and science fiction, but a different group, the World Science Fiction Society chooses the award winners. Unlike the Nebulas, this award recognizes a graphic work as well as fan fiction. They administer the Lodestone Award for best YA book, but it is not a Hugo award. 

The Edgar Award (named for Edgar Allan Poe): These are also close to my heart because I love mysteries. The Mystery Writers of America decide these. They include both YA and juvenile categories. 

Those are the genre awards I seek. There are also awards for romance and horror that are of interest. 

 

There are also awards for literary fiction. There is a good definition of what that is here. This is a controversial term because sometimes genre fiction and popular fiction are considered of lesser quality because they are less serious than literary fiction. (This is one idea that is argued.) There are authors (Jennifer Weiner is one.) who dispute this more eloquently than I whose thoughts can be searched online. The awards lists I most frequently consult are:

1. National Book Award: These are presented by the National Book Foundation and include five categories - fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people's literature. The 2020 awards will be announced on November 18th. The long-lists will be announced in mid-September.  
2. PEN/Faulkner: These are decided by the PEN/Faulkner foundation and include one award for fiction and one for short story. 
3. The Booker Prizes: These are presented by The Booker Prize Foundation and include a book published in English and an international prize for a book that has been translated into English. The long-list was released on July 28, and the short-list will be announced on September 15^th. 
4. The Pulitzer Prizes: These awards were provided for in 1904 by the will of journalist Joseph Pulitzer and are today administered by the Pulitzer Prize Board. The 2020 winners listed by category can be found here. 
5. Nobel Prize in Literature: In addition to literature, there are Nobel Prizes awarded for chemistry, physics, medicine, economic sciences, and perhaps the most well-known, peace. But the literature prize may be the most controversial. The 2018 prize was delayed because of a sexual assault scandal in the Swedish Academy. Additional criticism has been levied because of the overwhelmingly white and male winners in the history of the award.  

 

Every year, I watch the ALA Youth Media Awards on their live webcast that takes place at the ALA Mid-Winter meeting. Once I was even lucky enough to be there in person with hundreds of others cheering for the honor and award books. The awards are listed on the ALA site all of which I use to guide the collection development for my library. Though some of the awards like the Caldecott (for illustration) and the Newbery (for a middle-grade title) seem like they are not relevant for a teen audience, it is important to remember that high school students do not necessarily read at a high school level, and that picture books have universal messages appropriate for readers of all ages. 

 

Many states have their own awards for books of all genres, but I focus on Virginia Readers Choice since my school is in VA. These books are chosen each year in four categories by a committee of librarians, teachers, reading specialists, and other educators from across Virginia. I served on the high school level committee for 4 years. In my district, we are encouraged to participate in the year-long program which promotes reading the selections and voting for a favorite in the spring. 

 

Which are your favorite lists to peruse for titles to add to your TBR?

Three on a Theme - Wonder, Wings, and Wow

Recently I read three books with a similar premise. In each book the main character has a characteristic that sets him or her apart from others. The three books, in the order I read them are:

1.  Wonder by R.J Palacio

2.  El Deafo by Cece Bell

3. The Strange and Beautiful Lives of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Both El Deafo and The Strange and Beautiful Lives of Ava Lavender were honored yesterday at the American Library Association Youth Media Awards. El Deafo was recognized as a Newbery Honor Book and The Strange and Beautiful Lives of Ava Lavender was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award. I was there in the audience when all the awards were announced. It was invigorating to be in a huge room surrounded by people who love and celebrate books. Wonder was published in 2012 and therefore not included in this years awards (I am just a bit behind on my TBR pile.)

I liked Wonder, but did not sob as so many others I know did. Maybe I was ready and resisted. Auggie is a great kid who was born with a "craniofacial difference" caused by an anomaly in his DNA. He has endured numerous operations and always felt his differences keenly. The book begins with the decision for  him to attend public school for the first time. As one might anticipate, some of his experiences are uplifting and others are not. Some kids bully him and others befriend him. In fact a great deal of what Auggie experiences is fairly typical for anyone in a new school in 5th grade. What I liked best about the story is the avoidance of saccharine, contrived feel-goodness. I think the other kids' initial reactions to Auggie are realistic. Some are horrified by him and others get to know him and cease to be put off by what makes him different.

What I did not like, was the ending. I felt like the change in some kids' attitudes and behaviors toward Auggie was to see him as a mascot rather than really embracing him. Practically speaking this is better than being cruel to him, but it still makes him an object rather than a person.

El Deafo was fabulous. Hands down, no ifs, ands, or buts this was a really interesting look into life as a kid with a difference. This is really more of a graphic memoir ala Tomboy by Liz Prince than a novel. At age 4 Cece contracts meningitis and loses most of her hearing. She now has to adapt to life as someone with hearing impairments that affect every day interactions including those with family, friends, and teachers. El Deafo is the superhero name Cece gives herself and later shares with friends. This is again a story about someone who is starting in a new school which is difficult enough without hearing impairment. This one reminded me a bit of Smile by Raina Telgemeier because of the detailed attention to day to day life. 

AND then there is Ava Lavender, who is born with wings. This is definitely magical realism in all its glory. I really liked it, and am still thinking about it. Probably too much like a former English teacher, looking for the symbolism. I will say, after reading, the title is haunting. I am almost at a loss to say what this story is about, but like most YA novels it is about the search for self, but in this case that self has wings. I did feel like there were some overtones of Chocolat by Joanne Harris and Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. These similarities are mostly connected to the experiences of Ava's mother and grandmother who get a fair amount of page time, which I enjoyed as an adult reader of YA.

Overall I appreciated the experience of reading about those different from myself. Certainly one of the benefits of reading diverse books!

Some "Grown-Up" Titles

And by "grown-up" I do not mean 50 Shades of Grey or any of its sequels...I mean recent winner of the Orange Prize, Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles and Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge.  In non-fiction I recently read That Woman by Anne Sebba about the life of Wallis Simpson, who not surprisingly to me anyway, is not a person I feel I can admire. 

The Song of Achilles begins when Patroclus and Achilles are boys and continues until after both are dead.  The premise is that over time their friendship grew into a strong, love relationship, not one of the traditional dalliances that often happened between powerful men and their much younger military proteges.  It is a truly interesting premise as Homer tells in The Illiad, Achilles was so distraught at the Patroclus' death that when he killed Hector he dragged his dead body around behind his chariot for days, until King Priam came to humbly ask for the return of his son's body.  While the death of a close friend is devastating it seems a strong reaction given what both cultures believed about the honor due a fallen warrior.  Miller's supposition that perhaps there was more to their friendship would certainly explain Achilles' intense behavior.  The book is well-written, moves through the beginnings of their relationship at an appropriate pace, then takes us quickly to the war where there is much more of interest swirling around affecting them as life's pressures affect all couples.  

The best part of having read the book is that Miller is coming to my local bookshop next week for a reading and signing.  I am very excited. 

 

Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale had Joshilyn Jackson overtones for me.  I do mean this as a compliment as I like Jackson's work very much.  Faith Bass Darling wakes one night firm in her belief that the Lord has told her to sell her family's precious antiques at one enormous garage sale.  Afterwards she will be able to die in peace.  For anyone who is an antique collector, reading about Faith selling Tiffany lamps for $5 and Stickley furniture pieces for $20 is painful, but it does all work with the greater cause of finding peace if only Faith can stay focused and remember why she is out in her yard taking money from strangers.  Throw in a family tragedy, a Prodigal daughter, and a small town mentality and you have a delightful, but quick read. 

 

Finally, just before school ended I read That Woman by Anne Sebba about Wallis Simpson.  I waited quite a while for my turn to come to get this book from the library.  I also must mention that I while I love reading about "real" people in non-fiction, I rarely find it as engaging as fiction.  This is why I try to listen to most of my non-fiction.  This however was an excellently written and absorbing story. 

Let me start by saying that this book confirmed my belief that rich people are nuts.  And royal rich people are no exception.  It seems likely that England was fortunate not to have had David as its king during WWII.  Outside his possible Nazi leanings, he was just insane.  Without giving anything away I can say that their story was not the grand love story we have been served.  The author also makes some jumps using some thin facts to arrive at possibly dubious conclusions.  This does not bother me (as it does a friend of mine), I just ask that the author tell what is known and that his/her guess is just a guess. 

Ok, so not finally, I also need to mention another YA novel I read called Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  While it is YA historical fiction, most of the YAs I know would not like this book.  It is the story of Verity's work for England before her capture by the Nazis in France.  It is also the parallel story of Maddie, Verity's friend and the pilot who flew her into France for her mission.  It is fascination in format and according to the author's note, as close to possible true as it can be without being non-fiction.  It was not fast paced enough for the young readers I know, but for anyone interested in WWII and intricately written characters, it is a wonder.   There should not be a sequel to this story as it stands alone so beautifully, but I do hope Wein will take on another historical topic.

Cybils Short Lists Are HERE

Check out the Cybil short lists in all the categories, which have many fantastic books, though I am partial to the middle grade science fiction and fantasy choices.   

Doncaster Book Award

 

Yet another book I will have to order from Amazon.uk because it takes too long to be published in the US!

 

THE THORNTHWAITE INHERITANCE wins the 2011 Doncaster Book Award
Gareth P Jones' novel The Thornthwaite Inheritance has won the 7th Doncaster Book Award. The winner was announced at the Finale Event at Doncaster Racecourse on 25 March 2011. Special guests at the event included popular favourites the Two Steves and Tommy Donbavand.

via www.doncasterbookaward.net

 

National Book Critics Circle Announces Award Winners

National Book Critics Circle Announces Award Winners

Always interesting to see which books crop again in the awards and nominees lists and which are unique to a list.