The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven even though I'm not crazy about dystopian fiction - a bleak future always puts me in a bad mood.  I saw that The Glass Hotel was about white collar crime and thought I'd give it a go.

We have white collar crime with a bit of The Sixth Sense thrown in.  We first meet Vincent (named after Edna St. Vincent Millay - great character name) as a troubled teen, and we follow her through her life. She's an opportunist and a chameleon, and I'm not sure we ever see who she really is.  Her husband/boyfriend is a much older, very wealthy, financier.  Her brother Paul also pops in and out of her life. 

The story is told through a variety of points of view and doesn't follow a linear progression of time.  This can often annoy me, but it worked really well here.  This book has such depth and so many themes, I know I am not doing it justice in this review.  I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. 

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Bonnie by Christina Schwarz

 

Bonnie by Christina Schwarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bonnie and Clyde have always fascinated me. This book tells Bonnie's side of the story. Legend often paints them as a pair of romantic Robin Hood gangsters.  This book makes clear they were not.  They were cop killing petty thieves, often very stupid in their thievery. Their life on the run was not glamorous. They were often dirty and hungry, sleeping in their car or at campsites. 

The author suggests that Bonnie was smart and educated enough to provide a better life for herself.  She wrote poetry while on the run, and much of her poetry proved to be prophetic.  It was clear she had no delusions about how her story would end.  It makes me wonder why she was so attracted to Clyde and the life she chose.  This all occurred during the Great Depression when food, jobs, money, and maybe most importantly, hope were scarce.

I like that this book humanized Bonnie and Clyde; the good and the bad. It gave the reader a glimpse of the realities of life on the run, and showed what punks they were. Since it is historical fiction, the author took known events and then filled in the blanks. She did a good job.

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The Killer Across the Table by John E Douglas

 

The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter by John E. Douglas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What is it about true crime? I am addicted.

Ever since watching Mindhunter on Netflix, I can't get enough of John Douglas' books. In this book, he takes a very in depth look at four criminals and their crimes. He analyzes every aspect including predicting future crimes. He makes reference to other crimes and criminals, he minces no words, and he takes no prisoners (metaphorically). I'm not sure I'd want him as a friend since he's very opinionated and sure of his conclusions, but it makes for really good reading.

I tend to prefer to read text copies of nonfiction books since they often include photographs and references - which I am nerdy enough to devour. However, this audio book was read by Jonathan Groff...enough said.

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The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

Eudora Honeysett is an octogenarian living alone in London with her cat Montgomery.  She has no friends - not even her cat, and she's ready to leave this life.  She learns of a company in Switzerland that helps people leave "on their own terms", and she's interested.  Why not?  She's ready.  And then a ten year old, glittery, colorful, force of nature moves in next door...

I liked this book, but didn't love it.  It struck me as a cross between a lighter Man Called Ove and Olive Again.  The story is told through two timelines - today and Eudora's younger life.  The older timeline sought to explain Eudora's attitudes and behaviors today and it did, but it was a bit routine and predictable.  Rose, the neighbor was my favorite character.  The author wrote the voice of a 10 year old free spirit really well, and I always enjoyed scenes with Rose.  I am glad to see there are more books with older characters and I am enjoying reading them. 

#TheBrilliantLifeofEudoraHoneysett  #NetGalley

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen

 

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this better than the previous "Royal Spyness" entry. I feel like the author was moving Georgie back toward her roots.

Georgie and Darcy are back from their honeymoon (thank goodness!) and settling into life as master and mistress of a large country estate.  Darcy is off on an assignment and Georgie is left to her own devices.  

She quickly grows bored and is looking for a bit of excitement when the ever amusing Belinda arrives.  Belinda has inherited property and would like Georgie to join her on a trip to investigate the property.  Off they go looking for adventure, and adventure they find.  The property is not what was expected, there are old acquaintances, lost relatives, mobsters, and murders.  Georgie is back to being more resourceful and less snobbish.

This entry into the Royal Spyness series had most of what I love about the series.  Georgie being scrappy, commentary about the life of the upper crust, improbable crimes and bumbling constables.  Darcy is even doing what he does best in this book.  I did miss some of the quirky characters I've come to love - Queenie (who is now a cook, but I miss the real life POV she always brought to the scene), Grandfather, and Georgie's mother.  

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Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen

 

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have always loved the Royal Spyness books in great part because Lady Georgiana was a scrappy, peripheral member of the royal family who needed to figure out how to make her way in a world she was unprepared for. She didn't have the haughty, upper class snootiness of her "peers". I feel like that is changing with this book. 

She and Darcy are now married, she's the mistress of a great estate - and she's starting to sound just like all the other upper class snobs.   They are on their honeymoon in Kenya after Georgie complained about not having an adequate honeymoon.  They are staying on the estate of a friend of a friend and find the expats living there are elitist, racist, alcoholic snobs.  (Just the place for a honeymoon!!)

Of course, there is a murder and only Georgie and Darcy are equipped to solve it.  I didn't like the majority of the character or their behavior.  I wonder about why the author felt she had to write this book.  There is a disclaimer at the beginning about the racist behavior and some language belonging to the time and place and she wanted to reflect historical accuracy in her dialogue.  That likely flavored my opinion of the book before reading it.  Not the best entry in the Royal Spyness series.

Not sure I like that very much.

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Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict

 

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read several of Marie Benedict's historical fiction books and after I finished The Only Woman in the Room, I decided I wasn't going to read any more of her books.  They aren't horrible, but they get tedious especially, when the main character is in dialogue with others and the dialogue doesn't ring true to the character or the times.  Robust editing could have made a difference, but... 

In any case, my book club voted on Lady Clementine for our August choice.  Since I hate when one member holds an entire group hostage because she refuses to read a particular author or genre, I sucked it up and agreed with the choice.  Wonder of all wonders - I liked this book the best of the Benedict books I've read!

Clementine Churchill is an extremely interesting person and that probably helped a lot when telling her story. There is also a lot of documentation from which to draw, so much of the meat of the story was already established.  She truly was a woman with ideas before their time, a force of nature in her own right, and Winston Churchill's equal.  

After reading the book I started looking into Clementine Churchill and she was everything the author described.  The beginning of the book had more of the internal monologues than the remainder of the book.  These are when the author is at her weakest.  I understand this is historical fiction, but I lose faith in a storyteller when too many assumptions are made, especially when "recounting" private thoughts, conversations, and motivations.  There were fewer of these moments in the second half of the book, and I liked the second half better.

I hope this means that the author or the editing is getting better and not that Clementine is such an interesting person it doesn't take much to write an engaging book about her.

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The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

 

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of a family broken by broken parents who thought they were doing the best for their family, but ultimately ended up inviting destruction into their home.

The book starts with Libby a 26 year old orphan learning about her birth family and receiving a substantial inheritance she knew nothing about.  This didn't ring true to me and almost put me off the book.

Next we are whisked off to Paris and a young mother who must ask her abusive ex-husband for help, then we are back before Libby's birth, then to today's London.  It's a whirlwind of time and place.

Initially there are a lot of characters to keep track of and our narrative moves from here and now to there and when.  Eventually all of the characters and timelines merge and the books seems to be wrapped up quite nicely...and then there is the last sentence of the book.  Not gonna lie, that last sentence made me love this book.

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Fantasy Football

Football - It's that time of year again! 

We are a family that loves football, and we live in a football town.  The Orioles are our baseball team and they are beloved, but they are more like a comfortable friend.  They have their ups and downs (lately - more downs), and the stadium attendance reflected that.

But the Ravens... football fans are a different breed.  Baltimore fans are rabid.  While they love the Ravens and the whole town turns purple every Friday, the home fans ruthlessly pick apart the team; players, coaches, and management every Monday morning on the sports radio programs.  It's hard to live in this town and not be a Ravens fan.  The energy every Sunday is gripping, and attending a tailgate and home game was like a visiting a big purple carnival.

My son-in-law has managed a fantasy football team every season for many years now, and the extended family joins in with delight.  Each year I have a team and try to do my best with the players I end up with, but I seldom know non Raven players and tend to select them based on names that amuse me - and there are plenty.

I always try to pick a team name that reflects my literary interests.  I've been the Dewey Decimators, The Game of Throws, and Fifty Shades of Ray.  

Ever since Hamilton came out on Disney+, I've been addicted to the show.  I watch it ad nauseam, I listen to it on Spotify, I read everything I can about it, and I have the Chernow book in my reading queue.  Of course, this year's team needs to reflect my Hamilton love.  

Debuting in a few weeks will be my team:  Not Throwin' Away My Pass.

Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger

 

Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will always love every Cork O'Connor book. This is currently the latest in his series - number 17 - how can that be?

Mining continues to be an issue on Minnesota's Iron Range.  Environmental devastation is pitted against economic devastation with both sides having avid proponents.  A Minnesota senator is flying into the area to speak at a town hall meeting when her plane crashes.  Cork O'Connor and son Stephen are some of the first responders to the scene.  They are soon shooed away by an assortment of government agencies.  Of course, Cork is reluctant to leave the search.  Additionally, Stephen has been having a disturbing vision that could be related to the plane crash.

One of the characters Cork connects with is Bo Thorsen who first appeared in an early book by Kruegar.  Thorsen had been a Secret Service agent, but is now in business for himself.  I found Cork and Bo to be an interesting combination, both alike and yet different.  Cork has his family to support and ground him, while Bo is almost entirely alone in the world.  Both men worked in service to their communities and held themselves to a higher standard.  Both men ended up leaving that service in order to be accountable to themselves.  As I read the book, I wondered if in Bo we were seeing what Cork would have become without his family to give him structure and perspective.  I would be happy to see these two men working together.

As usual, the author includes an interesting assortment of supporting characters - both good and bad.  Native spiritualism abounds and Henry Meloux who is now 100 is still offering obtuse observations and bits of wisdom.

It's been a few years since we've had an additional Cork O'Connor book.  I hear there is a prequel in the works. I am putting him on my watch list along with Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher, Virgil Flowers, and Lady Georgina Rannoch O'Mara. 

Keep them coming Mr. Kruegar!

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley

 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Agatha Christie was the first mystery author I read and loved. I loved those British mysteries whether set in a boat, on a train or at a house party. This book brought me right back to reading those beloved Christie stories.

The story takes place over two days on a desolate and possibly haunted island off the coast of Ireland. A wedding between two beautiful, up and coming, celebrities is about to happen. The wedding guests are friends and family who have mostly been kept apart from each other. Once all of the guests are together and the alcohol is flowing secrets start emerging and a character ends up dead. There are a host of possible and probable suspects. Clues are doled out sparingly and judiciously through the point of view chapters, and I was kept guessing until the end.

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I Got a Monster by Baynard Woods

 

I Got a Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad by Baynard Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was fascinating to me. I live in suburban Baltimore and remember hearing about the Gun Trace Task Force and subsequent shake up in the Baltimore Police Department, but I didn't follow it closely. In all honesty, it seemed as though the BPD was always in the midst of a shake up of some sorts.

Reading the details of the corruption among the GTTF and throughout the police department was frightening. It truly seemed as though the "inmates were running the asylum." I had no idea how rampant the corruption was or how high it went. It's a wonder the city of Baltimore didn't explode sooner or more violently.  It certainly makes one wonder who is policing the police.

The book was well researched and documented. As I read each chapter I also read the accompanying research notes - something I never do. The writing wasn't as polished as it could have been. At some points I felt I wasn't being told the story of this corrupt group, but rather was having a list of their crimes reported to me.  Michelle McNamara's beautiful prose and the way she captured the narrative thread while telling the story of the Golden State Killer has definitely raised the bar as far as true crime reporting.  Now that I know what it can be, my expectations are much higher than they would have been a few years ago.

I hope this book will catch the eye of the public and not only be of interest to those of us in Baltimore.

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The Devil's Bed by William Kent Krueger

 

The Devil's Bed by William Kent Krueger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love William Kent Krueger's books - especially his Cork O'Connor mysteries.  This one of his earlier books. I went back to read it because the main character, Bo Thorsen, is also a character in his latest Cork O'Connor mystery.

Bo Thorsen is a secret service agent posted in Minnesota.  He's tasked with keeping the First Lady safe while visiting her father in Minnesota.  

I didn't like this book as much as his current books. His characters weren't as formed as is usual for this author.  His story had more graphic violence and less of the Ojibwe philosophy that are hallmarks of the O'Connor stories.  I see potential in the Thorsen character and could envision an additional series here - maybe an urban counterpart to the O'Connor stories.  I could tell the author hadn't quite hit his stride as  yet. It was easy to tell he was on his way, but wasn't as polished as he is today.  

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Camp Grandkids

 

Last week just about broke me!!  My local grandkids' daycare was closed for the week, and my daughter asked if I'd fill in.  Of course, I was delighted to host "Camp Mimi" for a 1 and 3 year old.  I armed myself with new toys, games, and snacks.  

What I ran out of was energy!!  We were on the go the entire time with

the exception of the daily nap-time hour for the 1 year old.  This "Camp Mimi" falling in the midst of an upsurge of Covid cases in my state, I didn't feel confident taking the grandkids on outings.  We played outside and inside, we played with Playdoh and made cookies, we build with Zoobs and made Brio train routes, we played with water and chalk.

I was happy to see them arrive each morning, but I was also happy to see them head home each evening.  Time to rest for a while and then begin training for the next daycare closure.

Review: The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imagine identical twin sisters living very different lives.  

It all comes down to choices.  How and where you choose to live, and the consequences those choices bring.  Stella and Desiree were shadows of each other and seemed to be inseparable until one particular choice was made and that choice informed their lives forever.  

This book is also about secrets and lies, and the commitment to keeping those secrets and lies.   We see how that can damage relationships and change paths...sometimes for the better, but not always.

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The Lost Man by Jane Harper

The Lost Man by Jane Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book takes place in the Australian outback, and the author paints the setting with such vivid strokes that it becomes a character in the story. It takes place on a cattle station, isolated and alone in a very harsh and deadly landscape. It's the story of a family and their secrets.

I thought the book started slow and took a while to really capture my attention. I'm not sure why. I think it took me a while to appreciate the setting and while the book is written in English, there are some cultural differences that I needed to adjust to.

I gave it a three star rating, because I'm still thinking about the ending. It heads into some murky territory that I'm not too sure what to make of.

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Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Glennon Doyle talks about her family, life, and philosophies. I haven't read her other books and didn't know of her ministry prior to reading her book.

I really enjoyed reading this memoir(?) at first, but as I continued with it I found many sections to be repetitive. Often, I could predict what her response to the situation described in the chapter would be.

She is very verbose and could tend toward preachy. She would make her point and then hammer it home. It got old. Her writing came across with a certain smugness that really put me off. I got a "look at me" vibe from her writing. She mentions difficult times throughout her story, but doesn't really give us a look into them. I understand these are very private moments, but she's writing about her life and she broached the topics.

I'm still deciding what I think about her self-describing as a Christian writer. She refers to God as the Knowing, and refers to Christ as the "Jesus story". It sounded as though she was not willing to offend, and was tiptoeing around the language associated with being Christian.

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Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

This is a beautiful, beautiful book.  The seminal event of the book is a plane crash that leaves one survivor - a 12 year old boy.  We meet the passengers on that flight, and discover with Edward what it takes for him to recover.

The author tells the story in two timelines, one before the crash and one after.  As the reader gets closer to the end of the book, she also gets closer to the crash.  It's gut wrenching.

All of the people in the boy's life want the best for him, but there is no playbook written for this kind of situation.  I love the way all of the characters were drawn; Edward, his aunt and uncle, neighbor girl, and principal being my favorite.  We even got to know several of the passengers and that made the description of the crash even more gut wrenching.

Learning that the author modeled the plane crash on a real crash lent authenticity and authority to the thread of narrative that takes place on the plane.

This book is well worth the time spent reading it.       



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The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Give this book a chance! It's a complicated book to dive into. I started it, put it down and then restarted it, but it was worth it. 

It's groundhog day and a mystery set on a country estate in England. There are multiple characters to keep track of and it's a book that should come with a scorecard. The main character inhabits several of the guests throughout the book, each time getting closer to the solution. He must operate under a strict timeline. 

I loved the book, until the end. The ending worked, but it seemed rushed and wasn't nearly as clever or as twisty as the rest of the book.

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Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love mysteries and thrillers, but I have never warmed to Harlan Coben. I chose this book because I needed a paper book to take on our camping trip and it was on the shelf. It was the right book for the camping trip. I could read it and put it down without worrying about paying particular attention to the plot or characters.

Name any issue that was relevant in 2008 and it was in this book. The book had too many coincidences and too many interwoven plots to be realistic in any way.

I liked the parents' determination to keep their son safe. I also liked the short chapters, and while there were too many subplots, it helped distract from plot holes and inconsistencies.

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Wow, what a good book!  I read this book in one sitting.   The author takes very complicated issues and makes them understandable and relatable for all. 

Starr is the main character.  She straddles two worlds.  She lives in the same neighborhood her parents grew up in and where her dad is a small business owner.  She goes to school at a private school that is predominately white.  She has to constantly change depending on which world she is currently inhabiting.

Starr's parents want the very best for her and her siblings, but they also don't want to give up on making their neighborhood better.  And then the incident occurs and it becomes increasing difficult and dangerous for them and their family.

I know this book has been produced for television, but don't shy away from this young adult book.  The words are powerful and evoke such strong emotions.  It's a good read for all.

Family Vacation - Covid Style

This was the summer for our big, once in a lifetime, multi-generational family trip to Disney World.  Covid intervened and we found ourselves without any summer vacation plans.  

We typically spend a week on Lake Chautauqua in western New York with my husband's family, but were forgoing that for our big Disney plans this year.  With options limited, we decided to try a long weekend camping.  We ranged in age from 1 year old to the 60+ set and included one dog.  Dear friends joined us and we were off!

We went to Elk Neck State Park on the north end of the Chesapeake Bay.  The campground was beautiful, but the weather was HOT - 90° and humid.  The weekend was a success.  The grandkids spent the weekend dirty, watching for wildlife, and eating s'mores.  Their parents, aunts, and uncles played board games, took turns wrangling children, and telling tales around the campfire.  Looking forward to many more family camping trips (AND the eventual trip to Disney!!)

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Unreliable narrators...UGH.  Is it any wonder we no longer trust what we read or hear?  I think they've been overdone, and are too often used in place of clever plotting.

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher doesn't have an unreliable narrator, everyone is unreliable in some way and all are unlikable.

Our main character is the second (and legal) wife of a polygamist.  Part of her "arrangement" with her husband is that she will never learn about or meet the other wives who live in a different city.  Of course, you know where this is headed.  The reader learns more as she learns more.

The premise of this book is interesting, and has lots of potential, but it broached too many serious and difficult subjects without attempting to do them justice - polygamy, mental illness, abuse, stalking, gaslighting.   A deeper drive into any one of these subjects would have provided a meaty and interesting book.  Putting all of them in the same book made them superficial and tended to reinforce stereotypes.

The best thing it has going for it is that the book is a page turner.  I kept going, waiting for the next crazy person or plot point and then it ended.  Just like that, abruptly.  It was a like the author hit her word count and stopped.

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin

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Melanie Benjamin writes historical fiction novels.  She doesn't just connect facts with anecdotes, she finds the narrative thread in each story she tells.  

I knew three things about Truman Capote before reading this book:  he wrote In Cold Blood, was an embarrassing talk show guest in the 70s, and was a boyhood friend of Harper Lee.  After reading this book I know many more things about Capote, and I now truly understand the meaning of the word sycophant.  

This book provides a look into the Cafe Society of the uber wealthy in NYC. The reader saw how Capote curated the group of women he called his "swans", and how he wormed his way into high society.  Even though Babe Paley was the richest and most privileged of the swans she never found happiness - few friendships, loveless marriage, strict social norms. I never felt sorry for her, she had the resources and options to change her situation It didn't escape me that in telling this story she is using the "nonfiction novel" approach that Truman Capote was claimed he created. It seemed just.

An Ending and A New Beginning

I have been writing this blog for several years now.  It started out as a way to give people a look at the books, students, and school that I loved.  It eventually morphed into a book review blog - children's books since I was an elementary school librarian.  

I retired this spring after 27 years.  I still loved my job, school, and students.  I didn't leave because of the Coronavirus.  I left because there are lots of things I'd like to do that don't necessarily fit in with the school calendar.  Things like visit out of state grandchildren, be available to share the daycare load for local grandchildren, and travel in the fall and spring (hopefully again!).  

I am finding my self reading - A LOT!  I love that I have the time to read without feeling guilty and I am free to read whatever I want.  As an elementary school librarian I read middle grade fiction all the time.  I no longer feel guilty when reading about serial killers or books that contain spanky sex.

As a result, this blog will be moving away from writing about children's books and moving toward to great wide world of the printed word.

Review: Clean Getaway

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scoob gets in trouble at school and his dad cancels their spring break trip. His grandma shows up in a motor home and asks if he's interested in a trip. He's already packed - why not? And so our adventure begins...

Scoob and G-ma head across the south stopping and learning about sites that were formative to the civil rights movement. This was an excellent middle grade read. The characters are fun, quirky, and surprisingly real.


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Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tristan is a boy who is sent to spend time with his grandparents after a terrible accident. He is left with his friend's notebook and time on his hands. His grandmother is a story teller, and a little bit superstitious. Tristan discovers a "tree" that ends up taking him places and introduces him to characters he never could have imagined.

This story weaves African and African American folklore into an action packed adventure story. I loved how the characters were expanded and fleshed out with the Gum Baby being a particular favorite. This is the first in a new series with will be well worth seeking out.


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Review: The Book of Boy

The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in the middle ages, "Boy" is an orphan who is taken along on a quest through several villages with Rome as a destination. Along the way, clues abound as to the true identity of Boy and the pilgrim he is travelling with. I liked this book a lot, but it is not typical children's literature, and won't be for the mass audience, but I suspect those who like this book will LOVE this book.

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Review: The Great Treehouse War

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winnie's parents have divorced and are obsessed with sharing everything about Winnie EXACTLY. Since the week has 7 days in it, that leaves one day (Wednesday) for Winnie to live on her own in her tree house - which is quite awesome. As Winnie's parents efforts become more and more ridiculous, Winnie decides she needs to take matters into her own hands and decides to protest. Her friends all join in because what kid doesn't have some reason to protest about their parents? What results is the "Great Treehouse War."

The book is cleverly written as a manuscript for a teacher. Of of Winnie's friends have put "post-it" notes in the book for clarification purposes. They are witty and true to each of the characters. Adults are most caricatures, but there are a few adults who are sympathetic. It's a fun book to read and to daydream about having an amazing tree house to escape to.

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Review: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Vanderbeekers live in Harlem on 141st Street. They live in two floors of a converted brownstone. The family consists of a mother, father and 5 children. Their landlord, who lives on the top floor, has decided he will not renew their lease and they must find a new place to live.

This is my favorite children's book of 2020. The Vanderbeekers are a loving, yet quirky family. Each child is appreciated for their uniqueness. The neighborhood they live in is just like an large extended family. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

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Review: Notorious

Notorious by Gordon Korman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this middle grade mystery we have Keenan, a boy who is recovering from TB. He's lived all over the word with his mom and stepdad who teach in international schools. He's currently recuperating at his dad's house on an island in a river that divides the US and Canada. Keenan meets and island native named ZeeBee (Zarabeth) and they become friends In it's heyday the island was a summer location for gangsters, and it is thought that one of the gangsters buried gold on the island.

This is a wonderful middle grade mystery. The characters are believable - mostly, and they mystery is fun.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two by John Tiffany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I liked this book as much upon the second reading as the first. Looking forward to seeing the play.

A welcome return to the world of Harry Potter! Harry, Ron and Hermione are now adults with children at Hogwarts. Harry's middle child, Albus and Draco's son Scorpius strike up a friendship on the Hogwart's Express. Both boys feel they don't fit and and have found it difficult to live in the shadow of their famous/infamous fathers. They come up with a solution, but it the process of carrying out their plan has unexpected consequences...

I liked the story very much. I loved going back to Harry's world. I found most of the characters very true to the characters in the books, with the exception of Ron. He seemed a bit too buffoonish to me. It's also important to remember that this is a play and lacks the full depth and richness of the books. I am looking forward to the day that I can see the play.

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Review: They Called Us Enemy

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, what a story. The story of the Japanese internment camps is one we need to be telling. I appreciated that he took the additional step and drew the connection between what happened then and what is happening now. Graphic novels are not my favorite thing to read. I feel his story lost some poignancy for because of the format in which it was told. #ReadHarder

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Review: Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts

Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Roald Dahl's attitude in his children's' books - the adults are horrible and the children are often innocent, and that attitude is alive in his poetry. This was actually two short books combine on this audiobook. Revolting Rhymes retells folk tales in rhyme. Suffice it to say they are not the Disney versions! Dirty Beasts is a collection of fun poems about a variety of animals. Listening to the poems being read by British readers was a treat. It brought a lot to the poems. #ReadHarder

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Review: Lions and Liars

Lions and Liars by Kate Beasley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet middle grade book about friendship. I loved the characters and the story...right up until the very end. Regardless, I will be recommending it to my students.

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Review: Mac Undercover

Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun tongue in cheek spy story for the middle grade reader.

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Review: Book Scavenger

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very clever book mystery that takes the reader through San Francisco on a scavenger hunt.

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Review: The Unteachables

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a sucker for school stories, especially if they involve underdogs. This book hit all marks for me.

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Review: The Last Kids on Earth

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A zombie apocalypse hits the Earth, and 4 brave kids are all that are left. This book is full of action, adventure, and gadgets.

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Review: The Real McCoys

The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun middle grade mystery set in a school.

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Review: Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A favorite Black-eyed Susan nominee of mine. I loved the Dickensian tone of the book and the nod to the golem of Jewish folklore.

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Review: Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jason Reynolds knocks it out of the park again. How clever to travel down a road and learn a different person's story in each block. I love the way they stories are stitched together. I was sad to see this book come to an end.

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