Not a huge turnout this month, due to falling into Veronica Mars, Season 2 and not climbing out until a few episodes into Season 3. Also not a huge month for really awesome things. I read some solid reads, but nothing I raved about.
YA Fiction
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Meg Medina
I read this at the same time I was reading Sonia Sotomayor’s book and kept confusing the two, which was both amusing and maddening. Aside from this book’s awesome title, it really hit on the many ways a threat by a peer can affect a teenager’s life. It was interesting to see how the main character’s responses were interpreted by the adults in her life, as well as the role that social media played in the attack. Very well done, if hard to read at times.
Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets
Evan Roskos
Read for Librarian Book Group
I love this title and I love this main character who was so willing to YAWP (as Walt Whitman did) through his troubles.
Midwinter Blood
Marcus Sedwick
Read for Librarian Book Group
This was the Printz award winner and I think I was grumpy when I read it because I kept thinking, “they picked THIS?” However, grumpiness aside, it’s kind of a cool book which begins in the far future and works its way back to the distant past. Each chapter is a different era with new characters, however, all the characters are linked.
The Living
Matt De La Pena
Read for Librarian Book Group
This book has everything! Let’s make a list right now: class commentary, racial tension, smidgen of romance, strange illness, natural disaster (s!), survivor tale, heartbreaking sadness, corporate malfeasance, horrible destruction, rogue players, and escape. And it all worked! At least for me. It was fast and fun to read and I’ll just tell you right now, there is a second book to look forward too.
Mister Orange
Truus Marri
Read for Librarian Book Group
The story of a boy living in New York City during World War II. His father is a grocer, and, as delivery boy for the grocery, he makes friends with an artist he calls Mr. Orange. Nice setting, good insight into living in a large family.
Divergent
Veronica Roth
Expectations were low, and I enjoyed this distopian novel about a girl who must prove herself. It’s kind of every “good” girl’s dream: to go off and join a band of fighting ruffians who get around town by jumping on and off freight trains. Plus, there’s a hot guy. Not the best I’ve read, but not the worst, either.
“Grownup” Nonfiction
My Beloved World
Sonia Sotomayor
Read for Library Book Group
One of the book group participants observed that he never imagined he would read about a Supreme Court justice buying underwear. This was a very good point, and the charm of this book. You get all sorts of insights into Sotomayor’s world and I’ve never had that kind of insight into other members of the court. I especially appreciated hearing her views about affirmative action, which is a topic I feel like I hear white people complain about a lot, but the people benefiting from the programs voices are often squelched.
I was often confused about which person in her life she was referring. There were a ton of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends that were briefly described and then not mentioned again for some time.