Mid-Air

I found Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams on a list of new books, and it caught my eye since I really liked the author's previous book Genesis Begins Again. The book description reads, "It’s the last few months of eighth grade, and Isaiah feels lost. He thought his summer was going to be him and his boys Drew and Darius, hanging out, doing wheelies, watching martial arts movies, and breaking tons of Guinness World Records before high school. But now, more and more, Drew seems to be fading from their friendship, and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows exactly why. Because Darius is…gone. A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: 'CAR!' Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together­­­—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius. But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?"

This was a great book. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then the characters and story drew me in. I loved Isaiah as a character and his journey to find confidence in himself and his interests and his path to coping with the death of his friend. I loved his trip to live with his aunt and uncle and watching him grow and thrive. This book was special too because (1) it was written in verse and (2) it had some illustrations throughout, which isn't as common in middle grade books but were a nice addition. I can't really describe what it was that made me love this book--just the characters, the journey, the messages, and the overall positive feeling I ended the book with.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Remember Us

I saw Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson on the new-books shelf at the library and decided to grab it since I really like Jacqueline Woodson. The book description says, "It seems like Sage’s whole world is on fire the summer before she starts seventh grade. As house after house burns down, her Bushwick neighborhood gets referred to as 'The Matchbox' in the local newspaper. And while Sage prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, she’s also still trying to figure out her place inside the circle of girls she’s known since childhood. A group that each day, feels further and further away from her. But it’s also the summer of Freddy, a new kid who truly gets Sage. Together, they reckon with the pain of missing the things that get left behind as time moves on, savor what’s good in the present, and buoy each other up in the face of destruction. And when the future comes, it is Sage’s memories of the past that show her the way forward. Remember Us speaks to the power of both letting go . . . and holding on."

This was a great read. I got through the book super quickly (a day or two) and just loved the gentleness of the story and the way it was written. Sage and Freddy were such likable characters, and I loved that the book had some serious conflicts but nothing felt over the top. I loved how things came together for Sage and enjoyed watching her path of becoming confident in who she was. I'm marking this book as "liked it" because I wasn't raving at the end wanting to recommend it to everyone--but I really enjoyed it and am glad I read it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

None of This is True

I read None of This is True by Lisa Jewell for my newest book club with friends at church. The book description says, "Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home. But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat. Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?"

This was such an addicting read! I read it in just a couple days because it was hard to put down. The author did a great job making the stories and characters super compelling, and the story kept me guessing on who or what to trust--even till the very end. I thought the book was very cleverly written, and I really enjoyed it. I kind of left the book with a creepy feeling that stopped me from completely loving the book, and it also had quite a bit of bad language. But otherwise it was a great read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

All Over But the Shoutin'

I read All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg for my book club with friends. The book description says, "This haunting, harrowing, gloriously moving recollection of a life on the American margin is the story of Rick Bragg, who grew up dirt-poor in northeastern Alabama, seemingly destined for either the cotton mills or the penitentiary, and instead became a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter for The New York Times. It is also the story of Bragg's father, a hard-drinking man with a murderous temper and the habit of running out on the people who needed him most. But at the center of this soaring memoir is Bragg's mother, who went eighteen years without a new dress so that her sons could have school clothes and picked other people's cotton so that her children wouldn't have to live on welfare alone. Evoking these lives—and the country that shaped and nourished them—with artistry, honesty, and compassion, Rick Bragg brings home the love and suffering that lie at the heart of every family. The result is unforgettable."

I loved this book! I alternated between audiobook and just reading, depending on what I had time for at a given moment, and I loved it both ways. The narrator of the audiobook had a southern drawl that just really captured the story. I loved hearing Rick's story of where he started and his path to becoming a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. I loved getting to know some of the amazing members of his family (his mom and his brother Sam). Rick just has a way with writing and describing things that just made everything so vivid. I found myself often wanting to look up people he described or articles he wrote because I was just so interested in seeing/reading more. One of my favorite chapters was chapter 39, "1.3 Acres." And also the part where his mom went with him to receive his Pulitzer Prize. I really enjoy memoirs of people with interesting lives, so this was a great read, and I liked that it gave me a glimpse into the lives of those who live in poverty.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home

Emmeline randomly found Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home by Bridget Farr on the shelf at the library, and when I read the inside of the book jacket, I knew it was my kind of book. The description says, "Twelve-year-old Pavi Sharma is an expert at the Front Door Face: the perfect mix of puppy dog eyes and a lemonade smile, the exact combination to put foster parents at ease as they open their front door to welcome you in. After being bounced around between foster families and shelter stays, Pavi is a foster care expert, and she runs a 'business' teaching other foster kids all she has learned. With a wonderful foster family in mom Marjorie and brother Hamilton, things are looking up for Pavi. Then Pavi meets Meridee: a new five-year-old foster kid, who is getting placed at Pavi's first horrendous foster home. Pavi knows no one will trust a kid about what happened on Lovely Lane, even one as mature as she is, so it's up to her to save Meridee."

This was such a good read! I think I finished it in like a day because I was just super interested in the story and loved the characters. I also have been so busy reading books for various book clubs lately that it was refreshing to just read a book for me. This was one of those books where the kids don't tell adults things that they really should, which kind of drives me crazy, but that's kind of what makes all these middle grade stories work. :) I thought Pavi was such a cool person, and I loved her relationship with both Hamilton and Santos. Definitely recommend this book. I only wish that the author was either Indian-American or a foster child herself, but it sounds like the based the story on her husband, who is ethnically Indian and grew up in the Canadian foster care system. So definitely still some authenticity there.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Twits

Ollie and I are continuing reading Roald Dahl books and just finished The Twits. The book description says, "Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, nastiest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything—except playing mean jokes on each other, catching unsuspecting birds to put in their bird pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. With the help of Roly-Poly Bird, they set out to get some well-deserved revenge."

This was one of the Roald Dahl books I enjoyed slightly less. It was just weird with Mr. and Mrs. Twit repeatedly doing mean things to each other, so there wasn't much to enjoy in that. Ollie did enjoy the story and often wanted to read more, and he correctly predicted how the animals got revenge on the Twits, which was fun. Quentin Blake's illustrations are always super well done and add a lot to the story.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Manhunt

I read Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson for my newest book club. (I'm in too many book clubs). This book description says, "The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history--the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops on a wild, 12-day chase from the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness. Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln’s own blood relics Manhunt is a fully documented, fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, it is history as it’s never been read before."

This was a good read. I started it on audio and couldn't quite follow it well enough, so I switched over to the paper book, which was better for me because I ended up needing to finish it kind of quickly over a week, and reading is faster than listening. I found the story engaging and never was bored with it. The author did a great job describing details and helping us get to know all the players in the story and keeping the action moving forward. It really is pretty fascinating to learn the details behind Lincoln's assassination and the manhunt for Booth and the people who helped Booth along the way. If you enjoy historical nonfiction, I recommend this one.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)