As I mentioned in my previous post, my reading went a bit bananas in July with the arrival of my Kindle. Here's a quick wrap-up and mini review of the books "In the Books" for this month.
Dog Man #2 A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey - Greyson loves this series to bits. I wasn't overly impressed with the first book, but this one definitely grew on me. There are plenty of fun classical literary references here for the adults.
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans - This when reading really got its claws back into me. Rachel Held Evans is my favorite progressive Christian writer and memoirist. Her writing is equal parts thoughtful, beautiful, and smart. I listened to Inspired on audio--the best way to read her work--and I ordered a paperback copy while I was still listening in order to read and annotate. So yeah, I read it twice at once. lol
Bird Box by Josh Malerman - The result of Twitter recommendations! I asked my fellow readers for recommendations to scare the poo out of me, and this one fit the bill. It's about a mother and her children, set adrift in a world where they must remain blindfolded to avoid being driven to homicide by...something. While this book is scary as all get-out, it's also complicated and dreamy in a way that reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road...but I liked this one even more.
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt - Good, old school horror! A three hundred year old witch walks freely around Black Rock, appearing in homes, making a regular circuit through town, and generally bleeding into the background. But aren't those pesky townspeople always their own worst enemies? Read it and see.
Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist - Another audio selection, Niequist writes about her daily life...the ordinary and extraordinary. It's not a new concept, but Niequest has a delightful writerly voice. I listened to this one on audio and almost wish I hadn't. Her reading is VERY FAST (I thought I had the speed up), and it loses some of its glory. I think I would've liked to slow down and read the words on the page myself.
Matilda by Roald Dahl - A re-read/re-listen. I never get tired of it.
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol - I loved Ghosts by Brosgol, but I liked Be Prepared even more. Young Vera desperately wants to fit in with her friends, and she wants to go to camp! Her mother, though, sends her to a Russian sleep-away camp that is not quite what Vera was expecting or hoping. Think lower-key, introspective Lumberjanes.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson - A great graphic novel in every way. This was another re-read. Just pick it up already.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - So. Much. Fun! Another winning Twitter recommendation, this one is about Lucy and Joshua, high powered work rivals who just happen to have some sparks. A very endearing novel when the characters weren't always so endearing.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - A thinking person's horror novel. A family's young daughter is seemingly possessed, or is she? This novel is also a lot of fun with plenty of shout-outs to classic horror, both literature and film.
Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha - Hocus Pocus is always a good time and a MUST, even in July. The actual Hocus Pocus novel was JUST LIKE the movie which made it a nice comfort read, but the sequel was a new delight. I didn't expect much from the writing, to tell the truth, but it was good!
Don't call it a comeback! Ok, do.
What have you loved lately?
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My son is obsessed with the Dog Man books...and Captain Underpants...and Bad Guyz. I wish he'd read something a little...better? But, whatever, I guess I'm just happy he's reading?! Haha!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I do have a suggestion for you. Has he tried Geronimo Stilton? They're not graphic novels, but they are lightly illustrated with some effects applied to some of the text. Greyson is something of a reluctant reader, and he loves Geronimo. They're definitely the wordiest books he reads.
DeleteSarah, I second Greonimo Stilton! Also, has he tried Giants Beware? It's a comic that my kids love and I kind of do too. :)
DeleteThanks, Lindsey! I need to try out Giants Beware for Greyson!
DeleteMy library still doesn't have Be Prepared. :(
ReplyDeleteCome ON, library! They need to get with the program.
DeleteI don't think it's possible to get tired of Matilda!
ReplyDeleteNever ever. It's just so good. I keep trying to get Greyson to listen to the audio, but he's holding out on me.
DeleteBird Box is going to be a movie with Sandra Bullock! (I mean, it already is, but it's not released yet. You know what I mean.)
ReplyDeleteYAY BOOKS!
OOOOH! She's perfect for that part! Can't wait!
DeleteThe Hating Game got my interest. I may try it!
ReplyDeleteDo the thing! It's a fun one.
DeleteOkay, the Hocus Pocus book has been sitting in my Amazon cart for like three weeks. I'm going to just hit "buy" today!
ReplyDeleteYESSSS! A good RIPXIII pick, too! :D
DeleteI remember when I used to read. lol I think I have read like 20 books all year. lol
ReplyDeleteLOL, hey it's been like that for me all year until now. I totally get it.
Delete