In case you missed the beginning of this series, check out my first blog post where I explain what the Read Harder Challenge is, and how it relates to the following books! For this update, I thought I would join in with all the kids partaking in summer reading, and read the picture book, middle grade novels and a young adult title for the challenge!
Task 6 – Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character
Book Read: “The Insiders” by Mark Oshiro
Héctor Muñoz has recently moved from San Francisco, where everyone at his middle school was into music and theatre and art. Now in Orangevale with the rest of his family, he’s trying to adjust to a new school, make new friends, and avoid the school bully. No one at his old school had a problem with Héctor being gay, so why does it seem like such a big deal at this new school? And what is with the mysterious janitor’s closet that appears all around the school when Héctor needs to get away from the bullies, that seems much bigger on the inside? Continue reading “Reading Harder in 2024! – Part 4”
Marilyn Hope Lake, Ph.D., is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Our Mothers’ Ghosts and Other Stories.” The book is a collection of 13 connected short stories that reveal the shared hopes and dreams, struggles and successes of women in one midwestern family throughout the 20th century. Lake is a former Mizzou faculty member in English and Business who has won many awards for her writing over the years. She was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Marilyn Hope Lake, Author of “Our Mothers’ Ghosts and Other Stories””
“Mending Life” is an instructional mending book, interlaced with warm and cozy life stories — it was a wonderful read. I loved how the authors talked about the importance of cherishing the clothes we have, and how mending them brings an immense sense of satisfaction and appreciation for them. The tutorials were easy to understand, and as a sewing newbie, I feel confident enough in trying out all the different kinds of stitches and techniques shown. As silly as it sounds, this book almost has me looking forward to seeing small tears in clothes as an excuse to try out a new hobby and skill I’m excited about.
Three words that describe this book: Informative, cozy, and comforting
You might want to pick this book up if: I want instructions on repairing clothes with nice illustrations and cozy stories mixed in.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“The light, in the morning, in the kitchen, was a thing I did not hate. There was something about the slant of it, the way the room seemed to glow from the floor upward toward the ceiling. I sometimes thought, in moments when I could sit in that kitchen alone, in the morning, with everyone else away, how tolerable it was.”
So muses Dennis Monk, ever the optimist, protagonist of California writer Michael Deagler’s introspective debut “Early Sobrieties.” I love this moment, when Monk (who everyone calls by his last name) considers the morning light, softened by how bearable, almost lovely it is. The image reminds me of the opening scene of Zadie Smith’s “The Autograph Man,” when a hungover Alex Li-Tandem notices “a flush of warm light” through his bedroom blinds. Only Monk isn’t hungover — at this point, the 26-year-old is a few painstaking months sober, which is perhaps why this kitchen sunlight very nearly touches his soul, but not quite. Have you ever felt like that? Like the beauty of living was imaginable, but not quite accessible? Continue reading “Staff Review: Early Sobrieties by Michael Deagler”
As the back of the novel states, “this book is about a small provincial town right before the Great Reform Bill of the 1830s, in England.” During this historical period, “Middlemarch” takes a look at the daily lives of several different members of the community, and their prides and struggles before, during and after the reform.
I appreciated the in-depth analysis of the fictional characters and their motivations, as well as the range of emotions that humans experience during their lifespan.
Three words that describe this book: Unforgettable, Historic, Charming
You might want to pick this book up if: I would argue that if you are a fan of historical fiction, this a good read for you, but with the caveat that the surrounding events of this time period are not necessarily center stage, but subtly shape the opinions, experiences, and reactions of the main characters.
This book also has a massive cottage core vibe, which has made a comeback in recent years. There is a certain romanticism to the provincial life — sprawling country sides, slower days, leisure activities that focus on relationships, bonnets and hats. Even the idea of poverty and the poor working class is viewed through a romantic lens — which is problematic, but still the case for this novel.
-Kylie
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“Joyful Recollections of Trauma” is book of nonfiction stories about childhood trauma mixed with humor and Hollywood stardom. I’ve been a fan of actor and comedian Paul Scheer’s podcast “How Did This Get Made?” and have heard him tell some stories about his childhood which are a mixture of comedic, weird and sad.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought! The stories of trauma were sad and dark at times, but told in ways that were both truthful and amusing.
Three words that describe this book: Funny, trauma, movies
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy memoirs! You enjoy reading non-fiction stories from authors like David Sedaris.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
In the book “Promises and Primroses,” widower Peter Mayfield is in need of a new governess for his two young girls as his previous one is getting married and leaving his employ. He is devoted to the memory of his first wife, bringing up his girls as best he can, and his hobby of canine husbandry. But when young and capable Julia Hollingsworth applies for the job, Peter must reevaluate his heart.
Julia Hollingsworth is desperate to make her own decisions and live her own life, a life out from under her mother’s thumb. But her mother is a woman with pain in her past by the family Mayfield, unbeknownst to Julia. She interferes with Julia’s new job in hopes of protecting her from ending up heartbroken at the hands of another Mayfield man.
I thought this was a sweet little story. The writing is a little unpolished in my opinion but it was a good read.
Three words that describe this book: Regency, romance, fiction
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re looking for a clean romance book that has not one, but two love stories taking place. Could see this being a good poolside read.
-Hannah
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise” is a lovely little story of two women, both at perhaps their lowest moments, slowly building a bond that helps reinvigorate their lives. They are certainly an odd couple, except that they start to recognize some (unfortunately universal) truths in the experiences that they, as women, share. And while this relationship is what provides the backdrop for the novel, in the foreground is an, at times, madcap road trip tale complete with narrow escapes from the law, evil mobsters, hot young drivers, etc. I’m sure the naming similarities with another road trip story of two women on the run are intentional.
I don’t think this is the sort of book that is going to stick with me, but it was a very sweet diversion while it lasted.
Three words that describe this book: friendship, adventure, sweet
You might want to pick this book up if: you want to see how there exist forces that can draw us together.
-Xander
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
Most of us work and save for decades in the hope that when we retire, our needs will be met. Numerous resources offer financial advice to help us plan for our golden years. For many, all that work and planning and fiscal discipline pays off, with an adequate cushion providing a reasonably comfortable life right to the end. For others, things don’t go quite as well.
Recently, I attended a training on identifying and preventing elder abuse. I learned that financial exploitation is one of the most common forms of abuse faced by older adults, sometimes without their knowledge. It can be carried out by family members, “helpful” neighbors, paid caregivers, online and telephone scammers, or even attorneys and accountants who notice a client’s mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. This was a sobering wake-up for me. Continue reading “Older Adults and Financial Exploitation”
Science fiction has captured reader’s imaginations for as long as we have wondered about the future. From H.G. Wells’ and Jules Verne’s early escapades to the far future via time machine and to the moon by way of a cannon, came a fascination as to what we could do and where we could go with the powers of science. Immerse yourself in the aspirational themes of today’s science fiction, with a corresponding dose of science fact to deepen your understanding and increase your excitement for tomorrow’s world.
What would a human’s life on Mars look like? Can we survive and thrive in its rust-red desert, or can we change the planet to fit us? One of science fiction’s preeminent preoccupations, the settlement, and eventual terraforming, of Mars has been a part of the futurist outlook since Ray Bradbury’s novel on the idea in the 1950s. Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Red Mars” dives deep into the technology and techniques that would be needed to build a sustainable colony on Mars, as well as the political, social and relationship struggles of the first hundred humans to settle on the Red Planet. Continue reading “Literary Links: Science Fiction and Science Fact”
