Saturday, April 28, 2018

Book 4 complete - 36 Questions that Changed My Mind About You

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant

The real appeal to this novel is the novelty of it's being framed on the concept of those 36 questions. It's not a particularly complex tale nor is it peopled with particularly complex characters. Read it once for some simple entertainment. I'm not certain that it would hold up to a second read.

Book 3 complete - Biometrics

Biometrics by Maria Birmingham

For kids non-fiction, the balance between readability and level of detail is key. Birmhingham has found the perfect level of information without becoming overwhelming. 

Book 2 complete - Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist

Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist by John Young

Combine a standard "kid with cancer" story and a standard "unexpected road trip" story and that's a fair idea of what to expect from this book. It's not entirely predictable, of course. A couple of unique twists. More importantly, the background attitude is unique. Connor displays an unusual blend of optimism and existential dread.

Book 1 complete - My So-Called Bollywood Life

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

Initially, I was not impressed by this book. The typical romance tropes hit hard. I rolled my eyes hard and sighed a lot. It wasn't until I reached the final quarter of the book that I realized that this was intentional, that Sharma was using tropes to make a point. Is it a point that I entirely agree with? No. She's talking about destiny and free-will essentially being the same thing. Even though I disagree, at least I can see why she's using so many chiches. A good choice for fans of teen romance and rom-coms.

And we're off!

I decided sort of last minute yesterday to participate in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, so I haven't done any of the typical readathon prep. But, since I find myself without obligations today, I'll give it a shot. This is my official starting line post. I'll be posting updates throughout the day.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Pick 6: grief

I'm always interested to see how novels treat sensitive topics. They explore an issue like grief from a number of perspectives. Here are six novels written in the last six months that have grief as a central issue.

6 new novels about grief

1. Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda

2. All Three Stooges by Erica S Perl

3. This is Not a Love Letter by Kim Purcell

4. Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia

5. When Light Left Us by Leah Thomas

6. The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Book review - Power in Numbers

Power in Numbers by Talithia Williams

Shorter profiles are my favorite way to introduce people to historical figures. By giving us five to ten pages of history and influence we're able to appreciate an overview and determine which figures we want to explore in greater detail. And what better way to inspire girls to innovate in STEM fields than to give them a host of brilliant women to model their lives after. Yes, we need to show them how cool STEM subjects are but we also need to show them that they have heroes already in the field.

More information: Power in Numbers releases May 8. 
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley