Reading Reflection: 2023

 

The end of 2023 has arrived, so it's time for another yearly reflection. As I predicted at the end of last year, I was not able to read very much at all. The combination of graduate school and my regular instructional coaching job took up most of my time and napping took up the remainder of it. I did still manage to read a little bit though. Here is the breakdown:

My goal was to read 24 books in total and I did read 24. It feels like a very small victory compared to reading 101 books last year, but considering the different demands on my time, I'll take it. You can view my year in reading here.

I was hoping to read 24 books from my own shelves this year, but I ended up getting distracted by books at my school and fell short. I ended up reading a total of 13. I'm hoping to do a little better with this next year. You can see the list of what I read from my shelves here.

Overall, I would not say that I am particularly happy with my reading this year. I did read some really enjoyable things, but the stresses in my life made it difficult to enjoy them like I usually do. I feel like I gained some perspective though, and am getting more used to my busy schedule. I still have another year of graduate school to go, but I'm hoping to relax a little more in 2024 and get a little more reading done. 

Posted by John David Anderson

 

Posted by John David Anderson is another one of the books my school purchased for our middle school book clubs this year. The cover definitely grabbed my attention and I felt like the summary on the back would be intriguing to a lot of kids, so I figured I'd give it a try myself. I read this partially on my lunch break in bits and pieces and then finished it off in a few sittings over winter break. I admit that it had a bit of a slow start, but I ended up being really glad I picked this one.

The story follows an eighth grader named Frost. He's a bit of a geeky kid that likes writing poetry. He has a small group of similarly geeky friends named Deedee, Wolf, and Bench. They've been a tight knit group for years and do everything together. Their comfortable group dynamic begins to shift, however, when two big changes happen at their school. First, after some inappropriate online activity, the school enacts  a complete cell phone ban. Without the ability to sneakily text each other during class, students turn to leaving sticky notes on each other's lockers. The anonymous nature of this leads to a lot of bullying and truly mean comments being flung around, some of which are directed towards Frost and his friends. 

The second change is the arrival of Rose Holland, a new student to their school. Rose's stocky frame and eccentric personality immediately draws a lot of negative attention from the other students. She takes a liking to Frost and his friends though, and inserts herself into their group. Without meaning to, she causes a divide between the boys that leads to a lot of complicated feelings on all sides. Frost is caught in the middle of the divide. He doesn't want anything to change, but he also doesn't mind Rose being around. Eventually the mean sticky notes and the situation with Rose work together to cause problems that can't be easily solved and Frost has to come to terms with the changing nature of people and relationships.

I ended up really liking this novel because everything in it felt very true. The characters acted like real middle schoolers, the conflicts between the boys were realistic, and the resolution wasn't neat and tidy. The main themes of the story centered around the power of words and how they can be used to hurt and to heal. There was a strong anti-bullying message as well, which are all ideas you would expect to find in middle grades fiction. What I thought was unique though was that a good chunk of the story concerned how friendships don't always last. In general, people don't keep their middle school friends for life. People drift apart for a variety of reasons and that's just a normal part of growing up. That happens here, with one of the friends in the group moving onto a different social circle. While there was some drama attached to his exit, he ultimately just didn't fit in with the group anymore and wanted to hang out with other people. It was sad, but it was also understandable. I liked that this was included because it's so relatable. I can imagine having some very interesting class discussions about this since so many kids will have experience with changing friendships to draw on. It's a life lesson that's not clichéd or cheesy to talk about. 

Ultimately, I was pleasantly surprised by Posted. It was realistic in a way I wasn't expecting. I will definitely be recommending this to students this year. This will be my last book read in 2023 and it was a nice book to end on. It was about a lot of things that are difficult, but it contained a lot of hope as well. While the world can be a mean place, the relationships we build with those who move in and out of our lives will sustain us and make us strong.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 24/24 - Complete!

Clear the Shelves 2023: 13/24

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

 

I've had The Mists of Avalon on my shelf for a seriously long time. My husband bought it for me back when we were first dating, which was over  twenty years ago at this point. It's been sitting on my shelf all that time, waiting for me to finally pick it up. To put things further in perspective, when I finally did pick it up a few months ago, an old Blockbuster receipt fell out of the back. I rented Heavyweights in 2002. That movie is still iconic. 

Anyway, the reason it has taken me so long to get to it is its length. This is a 876 page tome with small print. I have so many other books I want to read that I tend to shy away from picking up long ones that will take a few months to get through. I must have been feeling ambitious back in November though, because I decided to finally give this epic fantasy a try.

The Mists of Avalon is a sprawling fantasy epic that retells the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the women involved in the story. The point of view shifts between several women throughout the text, but the main character is Morgaine, more commonly known to us as the enchantress Morgan le Fay. The novel follows her from childhood to her old age as she works to preserve the holy island of Avalon in the face of different threats, including the invasion of the Saxons and the spread of Christianity. At first, protecting young Arthur and ensuring he takes the throne are her main priorities. He has sworn an oath to always defend Avalon. However, as time goes on his support of Avalon wavers and Morgaine's mission turns to removing him from power. Her journey is an emotional one, fraught with many struggles, betrayals, and losses along the way. She must eventually learn to make peace with the path her Goddess has dealt her and come to terms with her changing world.

This was a really phenomenal novel. I read it slowly and it took me a long time to make my way through it, but it was well worth the time. When I finished reading it, I felt like I had experienced something special; The Mists of Avalon is more than a book--it's an achievement. Telling the story from the viewpoints of the female characters gave the well-worn legend a fresh and interesting face with new layers of depth. This is not exactly a page turner. Instead, it is a story meant to be savored and considered from the many different perspectives running through its pages. 

The world-building was excellent. Bradley truly made the famous places from Arthurian legend come to life. The mysterious Avalon and the regal Camelot we rendered in loving detail. Similarly, the characters were developed beautifully. Each were different with distinct personalities, opinions, and goals, and each changed over the course of the novel. Each one was interesting to read about, and I never felt that there was a weak or boring perspective presented. The overall themes of loyalty versus compromise, men versus women, Christianity versus other religions, and old versus new continually asked interesting questions and presented compelling situations for the characters to grapple with. I enjoyed every aspect of it. 

Reading The Mists of Avalon is certainly a commitment, but it is one that is worth making for any fantasy fans that haven't given it a try yet. It may have taken me over twenty years to pick it up off my shelf, but I am very glad that I finally did. The beauty, complexity, and emotion of this one will stay with me for a while. I consider it a new favorite.   

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 23/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 13/24

100-Word Stories by Kim Culbertson

I am a serial buyer of teacher books, even though I rarely have time to read them. These slick, crisp volumes with their pages full of ideas represent endless promise. Maybe this book will be the one that solves all our problems and motivates kids to learn! Maybe this will be the perfect set of ideas to build the kind of classroom where kids are engaged and excited to do their work! Of course, those are wild fantasies, but it certainly doesn't stop me from dreaming...and scouring the Heinemann website every few months. I picked up 100-Word Stories from there a few weeks ago. I was initially intrigued by its idea of using short pieces of text to teach an array of literary concepts and its inclusion of lots of sample 100-word stories to use in the classroom. When the book arrived, I was both surprised and pleased by how short it was (it makes sense when you think about it). This, finally, was a teacher book I could sit and read in a few sittings. I got started hoping to find some ideas to bring to my school.

100-Word Stories begins with an explanation of how Kim Culbertson found success using 100-word chunks of text in her language arts classroom when teaching various concepts. She describes how she was able to get more student participation and engagement when the stories were very short. Not only were students better able to maintain their focus with these texts, but they also allowed her to explore many different concepts quickly. After that short introduction, she moves onto a series of chapters each focusing on a different story element. Each concept contains two 100-word stories, discussion questions for students to grapple with, and suggested writing activities for students to try. The book contains a total of 25 short chapters covering everything from basic story elements to revision strategies, making this a wide-ranging resource for reading and writing teachers.

Overall I did like this book. The idea of using short texts is a good one, as I can personally attest to the fact that students struggle with paying attention to longer pieces. These lessons offer quick and interesting ways to see different literary elements in action and provide good examples for students to try the techniques out by writing their own short stories. The discussion questions are thoughtful and encourage deeper thinking and the suggested writing activities incorporate a lot of student choice. This book contains some solid strategies and advice.

One element that was a bit of a disappointment for me were the 100-word sample texts. There is a little note at the start of the book warning that some of these might not be appropriate for all ages, but that an effort was made to have at least one story per chapter that was appropriate for grades 5-12. I did not always find that to be the case. Some of the stories included content that was inappropriate for younger readers, some of the stories had vocabulary that would be very difficult for struggling readers, and some of the stories required more inferencing skills than your average 5th-8th grade reader would have. Most of the samples are written by students too, which is fine, but I was hoping for pieces by well-known writers that I could use as a bridge to encouraging students to read their longer works. I work with 7th and 8th graders. If I was going to use these lessons, I would frequently find myself needing to source other texts or write the samples myself. This book is more user-friendly for high school teachers. As the sample 100-word stories were what I was looking forward to the most, this was a bit of a disappointment.

In spite of that, however, I did still enjoy the book and think that it is a good addition to my professional library. I agree with the logic behind using short texts and I think these lessons are a nice way to change up writing instruction and increase student engagement. Is this the magical teacher book with all the answers? No, but it certainly does have some answers that will help teachers improve their writing instruction.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 22/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle

 

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle is another young adult memoir my school purchased as a book clubs option for our students. I've been making my way through several books from this order to see which ones might appeal to different kids. I decided to give this one a try next.

Enchanted Air tells the story of Margarita's childhood as a Cuban-American girl growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Her mother is from Cuba and her father is American. They live in the United States, but take regular trips to the island to visit family. On these trips, Margarita feels like a whole different person; she loves the tropical atmosphere, the rural lifestyle, and horses that live on her family's farm. This version of herself is more courageous and independent than the shy, nerdy Margarita that she is in America. She treasures the time she spends in Cuba and looks forward to returning there each year. 

Political conflicts, however, soon cut Margarita off from the island she loves. The revolution, and the ensuing hostility between Cuba and the United States, make travel impossible. Tensions also rise at home with neighbors, teachers, and classmates regarding anyone of Cuban descent with suspicion. Margarita feels like half of herself is missing and struggles to adjust to a life without her beloved island. She also worries about her Cuban family, who lose their farm and land in the transition to communism. Eventually, she finds some solace in reading, writing and through travel to other places with her family. She comes to understand that the world is vast and full of beautiful places to explore, and remains hopeful that she will be able to visit Cuba again someday.

I realized while sitting here typing out this summary that it seems like nothing much happens in this book, but it definitely doesn't feel that way when you're reading it. The story is written in verse, and Engle does a wonderful job of capturing not only the pain she felt at her separation from Cuba, but also the typical struggles of growing up and feeling like an outsider. Her story has its sad moments, but it has uplifting moments as well. I was thoroughly engaged in the memoir and moved through it quickly. The language was truly beautiful; I could feel Engle's love for Cuba in the pages alongside her confusion and frustration over the politics that stood between her and her family. 

Enchanted Air is short, but quite striking and memorable. Aside from being a great memoir in its own right, it also touches on aspects of history that many students are unfamiliar with, like the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missle Crisis, and the Cold War, from the perspective of a young person actually impacted by it. It has won a slew of young adult awards since its publication in 2015 and they are certainly well-deserved. I will definitely be recommending this memoir to students in the future.                 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 21/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska

 

You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska was another one of the books my school purchased for a language arts unit on memoirs. As it was pretty short and very new, I decided to give it a try and see if our students might like it.

This memoir is the diary of Yeva Skalietska, who was twelve years old and living in Ukraine with her grandmother when the war with Russia began in 2022. The town they lived in, Kharkiv, is very close to the Russian border, so Yeva began to see the impacts of the war immediately. She wrote all about her experiences in her diary, documenting her fear and terror of the falling bombs and her sadness at having to leave her home to find safety. Her and her grandmother end up traveling across Ukraine to Hungary, then to Ireland as refugees. Her diary updates paint an informative and emotional picture for readers of what it is like to really live through, and escape from, a war.

Yeva writes about this journey in a thoughtful way that illuminates the impact of war on children. She focuses only on the danger and terror of the situation and how it upended her life. She does not get into any politics or history at all. Her writing is easy to read for a young audience and remains appropriate for middle grades while still being realistic. The short length makes the memoir accessible to younger readers as well. I think that both adults and kids will appreciate this story. Kids will enjoy reading something real from the perspective of someone their own age, and adults will find the young point of view all the more poignant through their older lens.

Ultimately, I can definitely see myself recommending You Don't Know What War Is to our students once they reach their memoir unit. It is a realistic look at how war affects the lives of children and the fact that it is so modern will make it feel relevant in a way that a lot of older works don't. This is definitely a worthwhile read.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 20/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

Signs of Survival by Renee Hartman and Joshua M. Greene

 

One of the books my school purchased for our seventh grade memoir unit this year was Signs of Survival by Renee Hartman. This short memoir centers around Hartman's experiences as a young Jewish girl living in Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust. The cover of this one was quite striking, and as I generally try to read at least some of the selections we have available in our student book clubs, I decided to give it a try.

The memoir is told from two perspectives, that of Renee Hartman and her younger sister Herta. Most of the story comes from Renee, who explains that she was around ten years old when the Nazis invaded her hometown of Bratislava. Her parents and younger sister were all deaf, so she has to act as the ears for her family and stay alert to the ever-increasing danger of the occupation. Eventually, the family is separated and Renee and her sister are sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Renee describes how they endured starvation, violence, and illness until they were liberated at the end of the war. Both girls were lucky to make it out alive. Their parents, however, did not survive. Renee and her sister regained their freedom only to find themselves alone. Renee goes onto explain how they created new lives for themselves after the war and the efforts they made to teach others about their experiences. 

It's tricky to critique a memoir, especially one that deals with such a difficult and painful subject. Signs of Survival was certainly an interesting and heartbreaking read, and I have deep respect and admiration for Renee and Herta for sharing their story. It takes great courage and strength to relive the events of a genocide and Hartman manages to explain her experiences in a way that is both truthful and not too graphic. This memoir was written for a young audience, and it is definitely appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students. Its short length means that students won't be intimidated by it, and I expect that many kids will pick it up this year. The Holocaust is one of those subjects that everyone needs to learn about, and this is a very accessible way for students to explore it through the eyes of some of the survivors.

One aspect of the memoir that I wished had been a little different was the amount of detail. The pace is very fast and a lot of specifics that would create more of a solid story structure were missing. The way things looked, smelled, felt, etc. were mostly absent. At the end of the book the collaborating writer, Joshua Greene, reveals that the text for this memoir was transcribed from a collection of video recollections Renee and her sister contributed to for a museum. This is why it doesn't feel like a complete story - it was originally a spoken recording. While this was enough to convey the events of the experience, I couldn't help but feel that reading a transcript version of a video was not the best way to digest this information. By not watching the video, we lose the powerful visual and audio elements of Renee and Herta telling their own story. Also, because people don't speak like they write, we also lose the extra details we would get from a traditionally written text. I wish that a little more writing was added in to round out some of the sparse parts and bring a sense of cohesion to the story.

In the end though, Signs of Survival was still a compelling and important story. While I wish the level of detail had been greater, it was still a very moving and worthwhile read. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for older teens or adults, but it is a wonderful memoir for an upper elementary and middle grades audience. 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 19/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

Coo by Kaela Noel

 

My school recently got in a shipment of new books for our book clubs. A lot of them looked really cute, so I decided to choose a few to read on my lunch breaks. Coo by Kaela Noel was my first pick. I was drawn to the beautiful cover at first, and the summary on the back seemed so wholesome that it sealed the deal. 

The novel tells the story of Coo, a young girl abandoned by her parents as an infant. She is discovered by a flock of pigeons that lift her up to the rooftop of the building their dovecote is on and raise her as their own. Coo knows nothing of the world outside of her rooftop; the pigeons are her family and only companions. They brings her plastic bags to fashion into clothes and feed her bits of bread and old pieces of fruit they scavenge from dumpsters. In return, Coo scares off predators, like hawks. She can speak to the pigeons and loves them. They do love her in return, although, being pigeons, they are limited in the amount of affection they show. The exception to this is Burr, the pigeon that first found Coo as a baby. He has a special relationship with her and they look out for each other. 

Everything changes for Coo when Burr is injured one day. He breaks his wing and needs real medical attention to survive. Coo bravely carries him down from their rooftop to find him some help, and this sets off a chain of events that draws her into the world of humans--a place far more complicated than her dovecote ever was. She is able to find help for Burr, but soon after she learns of a city extermination plan that will harm her entire flock. Coo must learn how to navigate her strange new surroundings and figure out how to interact with other humans in order to save her friends.

This was a really cute story, and I enjoyed it a great deal. Of course, the premise is ridiculous and you have to suspend your disbelief in order to read it, but once you get past those things it's a good time. I liked the relationship between Coo and the pigeons. These weren't like cartoon pigeons at all, they spoke in their own, simple dialect, didn't understand a lot of concepts, and retained their pigeon instincts and concerns. There were several points throughout the story where Coo wished for her flock to understand more things or feel complex emotions, like loyalty or sacrifice. She loved them, but most of them could not love her back in the same way. It was interesting to watch her navigate that.

Coo herself was a very sympathetic character that was easy to root for. The human she eventually forms a relationship with, Tully, was much the same. Their story was very sweet and just as I expected, incredibly wholesome. This novel is perfect for the middle school audience it was written for and I think a lot of students will enjoy it, especially those who are into animals. The only potential downside is its length. At 407 pages, kids might be hesitant to pick Coo up. Granted, the pages are very short, but the visual of a thick book is a tough sell for young readers sometimes. Even so, those that aren't intimidated by its size will find a lot to love here.  

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 18/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

Reading Check In

 The past few months have been a very busy time for me. I have gotten a little reading in, but between work, school, and sheer mental exhaustion, I haven't had the time or energy to blog. I did want to stop by to post briefly about the books I have finished lately though, just to maintain my reading record.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

This was a fun little mystery/suspense novel about a mysterious inheritance and a very troubled family with lots of twists and turns. It wasn't the most complex or wise story I've ever read, but it kept me turning the pages until the end. 3 stars.

The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry

This was a very unique middle grades historical fiction novel based on what the author supposed the life of a young person living in the iron age might have been like. Lowry based her story on a real-life adolescent skeleton unearthed in England and presents the reader with two different versions of what might have happened to it. I appreciated the story for its unusualness, but I doubt it would catch the interest of the middle grades readers it's intended for. 3 stars.

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives it Changed by Dashka Slater

This young adult nonfiction novel chronicles the true story of a high school that became embroiled in turmoil when a social media account featuring several racist jokes about students surfaced. The author chronicles the creation of the account, the painful discovery of it, and the terrible consequences that followed. This was a fantastic read that asked deep questions about the effects of racism and the damage that comes with passive participation in it. 4 stars.

Slade House by David Mitchell

This was a fun and well-written horror novel about a mysterious house that only appears to a chosen few and is connected with several disappearances. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person that visits the house and the reader is left to piece together the narrative from their various accounts. I really liked this one. It's a perfect read for the spooky season. 4 stars.

I'm currently reading a very long book, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, so it will likely be awhile before I'm back here. Hopefully by then I'll be in a better place to write a full review.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 17/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

 

The next book I first picked up off my TBR pile was Gideon the Ninth, a fantasy/science fiction novel that I bought years ago based on recommendations from the book YouTubers I follow. A few months ago, a friend from real life happened to mention that they were enjoying this one, so my interest was re-piqued. My last few reads were both quite serious and emotional, so I was craving a book that would be a bit more fun. Gideon seemed to fit the bill nicely, so I dove in hoping to get lost in a fantasy world.

Gideon the Ninth is set in a universe divided into nine houses. Each house is led by a ruling necromancer with a different necromantic talent. Protecting each of these ruling necromancers is their cavalier, a classically trained protector ready to defend their adept with their finely honed rapier skills. Gideon, who is none of these things, is from the Ninth House, a secretive and deeply religious group living on a remote planet. They are charged with guarding a historical and important tomb and live an ascetic lifestyle. Gideon, who was mysteriously orphaned on this world as a child, hates everything about the Ninth House, including its leader Harrowhark Nonagesimus, and is forever trying to escape it. She is continually unsuccessful, despite her best efforts. The Ninth House is in decline and does not let its people leave. 

Her fortune changes, however, when an invitation goes out to each of the houses inviting each ruler and their cavalier to a competition of sorts to ascend to the elevated role of Lyctor, a powerful position within their ruling structure. Harrowhark, who is hungry for power and completely out of options in her dying house, makes Gideon an irresistible offer - accompany her to the competition and act as her cavalier in return for her freedom. Gideon grudgingly accepts and soon finds herself thrust into the center of a deadly mystery and surrounded by a hostile cast of characters. She must work together with Harrowhark to unravel the secrets of the competition and end the game before it costs them their lives.

This novel was unlike anything I have ever read before, in a really good way. The combination of science fiction and fantasy was quite strange at first, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. In this world we have both space travel and bone magic. Light switches and rapier duels. Automatic doors and revenants. I became more used to it the further I got into the story, and really came to appreciate the unique world that bloomed out of all these disparate elements. Tamsyn Muir's writing was irreverent and darkly funny. Gideon spoke with a voice that sounded like a sarcastic best friend, and it quickly made me love her. The other characters all had their own unique personalities as well, and they were very interesting to get to know. In addition to the world building and characters, the story was extremely interesting and original as well. It was mysterious, exciting, and had a lot of great twists. The action sequences were particularly well written and vivid. It's essentially a gothic murder mystery in space, which is a crazy collection of story elements, but they somehow all worked together very well. This was such a weird and awesome reading experience that it's hard to describe. It's one of those stories you have to check out for yourself. 

The one drawback I found was simply the sheer amount of names to keep track of. This book has a lot of characters, and each of them is referred to in several different ways. Characters switch between using first names, nicknames, last names, titles, and house numbers regularly. Thank goodness for the character list included in the front of the novel, or I would have had an even harder time. I really struggle to remember numerical information, so the house numbers in particular were very difficult for me to keep track of. I got through it in the end, but there was more than one time I was mistaking which character was which.

Even so, however, I really did enjoy Gideon the Ninth and highly recommend it to fans of science fiction and fantasy. This is book one in a series, and I'm actually quite interested in continuing on with it after I get through a few more of the books I already own. This was a surprisingly great and really unique read.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 13/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 10/24

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

 

The next book I picked up from my TBR pile was The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I bought this one awhile ago, based on excellent reviews. I hadn't read anything by Coates before, but I knew going in that this was a very highly regarded writer, so my expectations were fairly high. Happily, I wasn't disappointed. 

The plot of the novel follows a young man named Hiram Walker. He was born into slavery in Virginia and was separated from his mother when he was a small child. He can't remember anything about her, but he did inherit her gift - the ability to magically transport himself from one place to another. This power lies dormant inside of him until an accident brings it to the surface and awakens a desire in him to escape from bondage. He is unable to use his powers at will initially, and his escape attempt leads him on a journey through all sorts of dangers. Through it all, he persists in trying to secure his own freedom, and the freedom of everyone still trapped in the terrible institution behind him.

This was, to put it simple, a very good book. From beginning to end it was beautifully written and engaging. It spoke about slavery in a way that showed the absolute abomination and tragedy of it all and brought its monstrous impact on families to light. I don't always love magical realism, but I found that I really enjoyed it here. Coates ties Hiram's mysterious powers to love, family, and memory in a way that emphasizes the humanity and dignity of enslaved people. The whole story felt very wise and important. It's clear that Coates is a master of his craft.

I happened to read this during a time when Florida was in the news for creating a social studies curriculum that attempts to soften the harm and emphasize the benefits of slavery. This idea is obviously outrageous, and it felt even more insulting to me while I was in the midst of this story. This is a fictional tale, but the ideas and themes still ring true. Hiram's story, magical though it is, makes clear to readers the pain of this time period and the absolute wrongness of it all. Honestly, this would be an excellent novel to add to a high school English curriculum to show how authors can bring increased understanding and empathy to real world issues through literature.

 The Water Dancer is the kind of book that is perfect for book clubs and great to recommend to anyone. It was an emotional and thoughtful read with an important message. I look forward to trying more of Coates' work in the future.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 12/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 9/24

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

 

It's been quite a break in between posts this time around! I have been reading a little, but mostly I've been relaxing and enjoying my summer before the hustle and bustle of the academic year begins again. I am still here, however, and getting back on track with blogging now. I read The Paris Wife  back in June and wrote most of this review. However, I never ended up wrapping it up and posting it. I finally got around to it today!

In keeping with my tradition as of late, I picked up The Paris Wife simply because it was the next book on top of my to-be-read stack. I've had this one on my shelf for ages, but I don't often reach for historical fiction, so I never ended up picking it up. Plus, the plot of this one centers around Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife. Hemingway is probably the most famous author I know nothing about, so I also hesitated to pick this one up because I wasn't sure if I would be able to appreciate it without having any background knowledge. The rules of the stack are the rules of the stack though--I read whatever is next on it. The Paris Wife was next, so I gave it a try.

As I mentioned, this novel is a fictionalized account of Hadley Richardson and her marriage to Ernest Hemingway. The story is told almost entirely from Hadley's point of view and begins right around when she first meet Ernest while staying with friends in Chicago in 1920. The pair are drawn to each other right away and maintain a long-distance relationship through letters after Hadley returns home at the end of her trip. The distance between them does nothing to dampen their feelings and eventually they get married. Their early life together is quite difficult--Ernest is struggling to make it as a writer, money is extremely tight, and Ernest's PTSD from his time serving in WWI periodically throws him into serious bouts of depression. Hadley is determined to help him make it though, and they move to Paris so that he can be close to the developing literary scene there. Through the mentoring of figures like Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, Ernest finally begins making some progress in his writing. Troubles are lurking on the horizon, however, and soon a secret will be revealed that will change Hadley and Ernest's relationship forever.

I ended up really loving The Paris Wife, and I was not expecting to feel that way. McLain's writing was slow paced and elegant. Reading it really made me feel like I was in 1920s Paris with all of its glamour, rusticity, and ugliness coming out at the right times. The details were well chosen and beautifully described. This was a lovely novel to fall into and escape, and I came to regard my reading time with it as a special treat. A lot of the historical fiction I read is centered around some type of large-scale tragedy, like wars or scandals, but this was a much smaller and quieter type of story. I appreciated the more private vibes I got with this one.

McLain's character development was similarly excellent. She wrote Hadley in a way that felt relatable and genuine, and I developed a lot of empathy for her throughout the novel. I was worried about not knowing much about Hemingway before starting this, and it turned out that I really didn't need to because this is Hadley's story, through and through. I'm sure there are references to things sprinkled throughout that went over my head, but I never felt like I was missing anything at any point. 

So in the end, The Paris Wife was a nice surprise for me. I went into it not expecting much and came out with a lovely reading experience. I felt like I got a peek into the past and learned a little bit about a famous author from a different perspective. Funnily enough, this book did not make me want to actually read something by Ernest Hemmingway. He was a very troubled man who hurt a lot of people, but I know that's true of a lot of authors. I'm sure I'll eventually come around and give him a try. This book, however, I would definitely recommend to anyone. 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 11/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 8/24

Recursion by Blake Crouch

 

The next book I picked up from my stack was Recursion by Blake Crouch. I bought this novel a few years ago on the recommendation of a book YouTuber and it had been sitting in my little book cart ever since. I hadn't read any true science fiction in 2023 up to that point, so I was definitely due to give one a try. I jumped in ready for some page-turning, science-y action. Happily, I wasn't disappointed.

Recursion follows two characters. The first is Barry, a detective. He is struggling in his personal life as the novel begins and is still grieving the loss of his teenage daughter who died in a hit and run several years ago. One afternoon, he responds to a call about a potential suicide. A woman is about to throw herself off of a building. When he arrives to try and talk her down, she tells him a strange story about having two sets of memories in her head. She can distinctly remember two lives--one in which she was a happily married wife and mother living out in the country and the one she is currently in now, in which she is a single high-powered executive. She can't reconcile the two sets of memories, she wants to go to the life where she was a mother, and is in despair over the whole situation. Her story intrigues Barry, who sets off on a path to investigate these mysterious memories.

The second character is Helena, a scientist studying memory in an effort to help Alzheimer's patients. Her goal is to be able to build a device that allows her to trigger memories in peoples' minds on command. She is brilliant, but unable to secure the kind of funding she needs to take her research to the next level. This changes when she is approached by a tech billionaire who offers her a chance to build the memory machine of her dreams at his private facility. Her work soon starts yielding incredible results, but the implications of what she creates are very dangerous and she fears what could happen if her work ever falls into the wrong hands.

The paths of these two characters eventually cross as they both work to sort through a series of impossible and dangerous consequences born from the intersection of technology and memory.

I really ended up liking this book. It was action-packed and contained lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. I couldn't really guess what was coming most of the time and I was totally engaged trying to figure out where the story was going. Aside from the interesting plot, Crouch's writing was easy to read and very engaging. The narration flipped back and forth between Barry and Helena and created lots of mini-cliffhangers along the way. Both sides of the story were great though, so I was never too annoyed to cut away from a character for a little while. In addition to all the exciting bits, the story asked some deep questions about memory, trying to change the past, and how humans experience time. Like all good science fiction, it gave me some complicated ideas to think about after the story was over. I couldn't help by feel like this would make a great limited series on TV.

Recursion ended up being an excellent read. I would definitely recommend it to science fiction fans or even people interested in trying out the genre. It's a very approachable story with a highly interesting and engaging plot--the perfect book to escape into. I'm happy to have randomly picked it up. Hopefully whatever book is next in my stack will be just as enjoyable.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 10/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 7/24

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

 

After reading a few very serious books, I was happy that the next title in my stack was on the lighter side. Adult contemporary fiction isn't a genre I usually pick up, but I made an exception for Landline based on the author. I've been a fan of Rainbow Rowell's young adult work since I read Eleanor and Park years ago, so I was very interested to see how I would feel about her fiction for grownups. 

The plot of the novel follows Georgie McCool, a TV writer in her thirties. She is married to her husband Neal and they live in LA with their two young daughters. As the story begins, Georgie and Neal are going through some trouble in their marriage. Georgie has been focusing on her career while Neal, who is a stay at home dad, wishes she would spend more time with the family. When a big opportunity comes up that requires Georgie to work over Christmas, Neal decides to take the kids and visit his family across the country without her. Afraid that her marriage might be over, Georgie tries calling him to check in using her old landline phone and discovers something impossible. Her landline is calling Neal in the past, from just before they got engaged. Speaking to the younger version of her husband stirs up a lot of old memories and feelings in Georgie, and it also presents her with an interesting opportunity: a chance to save her present-day marriage by reaching into the past.

I ended up really enjoying this book, even though it was quite a different pick for me. Rowell's writing was easy read and felt quite relateable. The emotions were genuine and the characters were layered. I found myself torn between Georgie and Neal's issues. Georgie was often careless in the way she treated her family and should have placed more importance on being there for them. However, Neal was struggling with a personal aimlessness that made him needy and resentful, often unfairly so. Neither character was perfect but both were still sympathetic, which brought complexity to the story. I also appreciated that while the topic was a serious one, the tone wasn't too depressing. Georgie's dry sense of humor kept things from being too dark and the supporting characters (especially her mother and sister) added some lightness as well.

So, much like I enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's writing for young adults, I enjoyed her writing here too. I wouldn't say this is one of those novels that will stay with me forever, but it was a fun bit of escapism and the perfect thing to break up the serious stories I have been reading lately. This was a solid read that ended up being a sweet and emotional treat.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 9/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 6/24

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

 

There hasn't been much rhyme or reason to my reading selections lately. I've just been picking up whichever book is next in the stack on my book cart. That was how I ended up reading The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. It's a novel about a pandemic, which I didn't think would appeal to me at this particular point in time, but this ended up being a special one and I'm very glad I happened to pick it up.

The plot of the novels follows several characters living in a small college town in California called Santa Lora. As the story begins a handful of college students fall ill with a mysterious sickness. They fall asleep and can't be woken up. Quickly, the illness begins to spread and more and more people begin to fall asleep. Hospitals are overwhelmed and panic starts to set in. Eventually, the entire city has to be quarantined to try and stop the spread. Doctors are able to determine that the brains of those who are asleep are extraordinarily active. They are dreaming intense dreams, but no one knows what they are dreaming, what is causing it, or how to wake them. 

The chapters alternate between some of the students first exposed to the virus, two children left alone when their father falls asleep, a new parent with an infant, a college professor, and more. Each of them have to try and survive in their new reality, facing all of the fear and uncertainty that now defines their daily lives. 

This novel was beautifully written and highly engaging. Walker's prose is a pleasure to read; even a topic as freshly traumatic as a pandemic felt interesting and mysterious in these pages. She did a nice job of capturing the sadness and complexity of emotions that comes with a crisis like this and creating a world that felt genuinely real. Even though there are a lot of characters that we only get to know for a short space of time in their lives, I found that I was totally invested in their stories and was rooting for everyone to be okay. It's hard to put anything more specific about why I liked this book so much into words, but it was one of those that I didn't want to put down. Even despite my limited reading time, I moved through it pretty quickly.

It's funny how a book that I picked up totally at random ended up becoming one of my favorite reads of the year so far. The emotion, the characters, and the mystery of it all really spoke to me and made for a great reading experience. I really enjoyed The Dreamers and am definitely interested in checking out more by Karen Thompson Walker.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 8/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 5/24

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez and The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

I’ve been buried in school work these past few months, but I did manage to read a few books. Both were young adult historical fiction, so I decided to talk about them both in the same post.

Historical fiction is a genre that I don’t pick up as often as others, but I always enjoy it whenever I do. Young adult novels in this category tend to hit me hard, with emotional storylines and compelling plots. These two stories were no exception to that.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez centers around two teenagers named Naomi and Wash living in a rural 1930’s Texas oil town called New London. Naomi just moved to the area from Mexico with her younger brother and sister to live with her stepfather. Her relationship with her stepfather is fraught and abusive, but there are better opportunities for her siblings in New London. They are light enough to pass as white and are able to attend a good school there. For their sake, she forces herself to stay. 

When she meets Wash, an African American boy, she is instantly drawn to him. Though she tries to deny her feelings at first, they fall in love with each other and start dating in secret. Although neither one is white and both suffer from the racism of their surroundings, no one believes it’s appropriate for them to be together. They dream of running away to Mexico to start a new life, but their plans are thrown into chaos when the New London School explosion occurs. The disaster sets a chain of events into motion that threaten to destroy everything Naomi and Wash have been working towards.

This novel was beautifully written and completely gut wrenching to read. It touches on many heavy topics including racism, domestic abuse, substance abuse, grief, and more. Trigger warnings are in order for just about every bit of sensitive content out there, but those that are up for taking an emotional journey will be rewarded with a complex story about love persevering through unimaginable difficulties. The chapters are quite short and rotate through the perspectives of several different characters, making this an easy book to pick up and read a little bit at a time. It was very sad, and very good. 

The New London School explosion is a real event that killed over 300 people, most of them children, in 1937. A natural gas leak caused a massive explosion that destroyed the part of the school housing the 5th-11th grades. I had never heard of it before reading this novel, but it was horrific and absolutely devastating to the community. It was a very intense backdrop to Naomi and Wash’s story and Pérez did a nice job of integrating it into the text. 

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 6/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 3/24

The second novel I read was The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. This novel was based on the life of a real Auschwitz survivor, Dita Kraus. Dita was taken from her home in Prague and imprisoned in Auschwitz when she was a young teenager. While there, she and the other children attended a makeshift school run by other captives. The school managed to assemble a secret collection of eight novels to use in their teaching, and Dita was placed in charge of these books. To be found with a book in Auschwitz would mean instant death, so Dita's job was extraordinarily dangerous. Fortunately, Dita is an extraordinary girl, and her bravery and determination to keep her little library safe keeps a spark of hope alive in an unimaginably terrible place. 

This was another beautiful book set in a brutal place. Iturbe is a Spanish writer and this is a translated work. Sometimes the language sounded a bit off in the way that translated works do, but it was still a very touching story and a great reading experience. The terror and sadness of Auschwitz was portrayed clearly, and Dita’s story was told in a way that was inspirational and emotional. The story did what great historical fiction does–make history come alive to readers. It’s incredible that the real-life Dita Kraus was able to keep this secret library safe. I really enjoyed learning about her story through this novel.

So ultimately, even though the pace of my reading has slowed down quite a bit, I have still been able to find some really great reads. Both Out of Darkness and The Librarian of Auschwitz were excellent books. My semester is nearly over now and I’m looking forward to a summer where I can read and write a little more frequently. It’s funny–I’m in a graduate program to learn about the science of reading and how to help struggling readers. I’m literally spending so much time reading about reading that I don’t have time to read. Go figure.  

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 7/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 4/24