This is such a sweet fantasy with beautiful characters full of optimism. “Change starts with the voices of a few.” An all around feel good kinda story ❤️
#pop22 ~ a #booktalk recommendation
#booked2022 ~ a hopepunk novel
@KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88 @squirrelbrain @BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks @wanderinglynn for the copy 🥰

This audio kept me company on the drive to/from my parents for a Mother‘s Day visit. A steamy novella about a couple with a short past, stuck in an elevator in the building they work at.

This book is part memoir of the author‘s brief time working for the DC public library and part social economics. She covers a lot of what libraries do and have become, and it‘s all prevalent and true, but I wish she talked more about programs, events, community partners etc. My library system (between DC/Baltimore) does a great job of supporting staff and the community, and I wish more of these aspects were highlighted in the book. I ❤️ my job!

Biked around town to visit FIVE Little Free Libraries today. I donated about 20 books, kids and adult stuff and found one to take home!

I‘m feeling super lazy tonight!

My April reads. I got a little sidetracked this month 😳 only one book for challenges and of course my book club book, which was a reread. I hope to focus a little better on book choices next month! #pop22 #Booked2022

@KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88 @squirrelbrain @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Whew. This audiobook was like taking a whole college semester course on CRT. I will say it was extremely well done! I don‘t usually buy books but I‘m going to pick this up at a black owned book store in Baltimore in the near future and read through the chapters/essays/stories at a slower pace. So much to take in.

I love this song so I needed to check out Alicia Keys new book and I‘m so glad I did. A strong, female, teen heroine, with superpowers, yes please! For a short book, she did a nice job of including systematic racial problems within the pages which went well with the story. Great YA graphic novel, and the illustrations were fantastic!

I just adore Bittle! This book wraps up his final college/hockey years, and his relationship with Jack ❤️

I love the Montague‘s adventures and all their imperfect qualities. The end. 🥰

A delightful and fun listen to finish on my first camping trip of the year! I love people who appreciate and take in nature and I thoroughly enjoyed his Covid camper experiences as I look forward, or dream of, joining the RV world in a few years. Also, I enjoy his voice 😂

Ugh. I know this was a Goodreads choice winner but I was just not impressed the first time I read it in 2019 or this second go round for bookclub. Psychological thrillers are just not my jam. 🤷🏻‍♀️
#pop22 ~ book about a secret
#Booked2022 ~ make your own prompt @KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88 @squirrelbrain @BarbaraTheBibliophage

I forgot to tag #booked2022 with Includes a Recipes I enjoyed the characters the different POV‘s that revolves around Eva as she grew up and found her place.

I really enjoyed the characters and story! This reminded me a bit of Olive Kitteridge, getting to know the people who have made an impression and helped Eva in becoming the person and chef she becomes. Overall a sweet story about life‘s ups and downs and the people that become a part of your journey. #pop22~ a book with a recipe

This is like a modern day myth. Originating from an album by Drexciya, ‘Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller‘, it evolved into a song by Clipper, then written in lyrical words into a novella unlike anything I‘ve read before. Extremely creative and quite sorrowful, it‘s the story of mermaid-like sea creatures born from the birth of pregnant slave women thrown overboard during the slave trades and the historian that holds the memories.

My March wrap up!

#pop22 Three months down and I‘ve completed 9/40 books for the challenge. @KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88

I was planning to use Loveless but since I jumped on this one, I‘ll use it for #pop22 ~character on the ace spectrum. Maybe I‘ll still get to Loveless this year 🤷🏼‍♀️ @KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88

#booked2022 ~set in a Canadian Province A middle grades graphic novel about a Chinese-Canadian girl who suffers from anxiety and is trying to make friends in a new school.

I‘m not usually a romcom kinda gal but I keep seeing this and thought, why not?! It was cute, the characters were a bit annoying but it made for an enjoyable listen and I thought of my daughter a lot as she‘s thinking of going for a PhD in the STEM field. I hear it‘s a tough environment, especially for women, and I like that the author added some support websites for women in STEM at the end.

Last one for now 😉 This is a great young adult graphic novel about a Vietnamese refugee family and the language barrier between the two generations. #booked2022 ~a coming out story

I loved this one ❤️ New England boarding school and Greek studies, what could go wrong?! #booked2022 ~dark academia novel

This is the second book we‘ll do for our summer, middle grades book club about a deaf girl who sets out to meet a misfit whale that doesn‘t fit in because his sound can‘t be heard by other whales. This is really an amazing book. #booked2022 ~a nautical novel

I‘ve listened to this three times now and I have new takeaways each time. My bookclub had a great discussion last month! #booked2022 ~author born in Africa

A blast from the past! It‘s interesting to see how so much has changed in the last few decades from politics, technology, entertainment and even how we perceive the world then and now. #booked2022 ~new in 2022

A beautiful children‘s picture book to compliment the adult book. A young African American asks where her ancestors are from, her grandmother tells her a story. #booked2022 ~from a black-owned or -centric imprint or publisher

I‘m using this middle grades graphic novel for a grades 4-6 book club at the library this summer. Gotta keep this kids reading on their break! It‘s a cute story about a film crew that takes over Martha‘s Vineyard and an unlikely friendship amongst a few kids. #booked2022 ~weather term in the title

Sorry for the spam posts you‘re about to see! I decided a little late in the game to join #booked2022 Cults fascinate me and this one was about the language, or word choices, cults use. Interesting. ~about a cult or religion

This book covers the Sandy Hook shooting, but it also focuses on the conspiracy theories and highlighting the viral spread of misinformation on the internet, calling out social media platforms and people like Alex Jones of InfoWars. The Newtown image was taken of the flag on Newtown‘s Main St in December in honor or the victims by a family friend. #Booked2022 ~ a book written by a journalist
 @cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

I love time travel books and this one did not disappoint! It‘s raw, emotional, disturbing and historically important. I placed a hold on the Graphic Novel format to read next week.
#pop22 ~ an #ownvoices SFF book

@KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88

I‘m giving this a pick though I don‘t think I‘d recommend it unless they‘re big readers. The first two stories felt incomplete and it kinda frustrated me and I wanted a bigger, dramatic ending to wrap the timelines up and I knew it wasn‘t going to happen. I really enjoyed the third story. I like what she did with the timelines, characters, generations, altered universe, and it‘s a book to ponder for a while so I‘ll give it that. #pop22 #booked22

I read this over the summer but I wanted a refresher before bookclub on Tuesday. I loved it just as much the second time around! ❤️

Super cute story about drag queens swishing and shimmying through town to add some color and fun to the day! It‘s read/sung to the tune The Wheels on the Bus. I also watched Lil Miss Hot Mess read her story in YouTube. I wish parents would stop trying to ban all the books. This one was brought up last month #pop22 ~ A book with an onomatopoeia in the title

I think this will be our July graphic novel choice for the grades 4-6 book club this summer. It takes place on Martha‘s Vineyard. A movie is being filmed on the island and there‘s a film fest for kids. An unlikely group forms to create a documentary about the history of a retired sea captain and the history of the island as they interview the “islanders” and form a friendship bond with plenty of bumps along the way.

Perfect read for our grades 4-6 summer book club at the library that fits our ocean theme and diversity. It‘s a great middle grades book about a deaf girl, Iris, who doesn‘t have friends at school and is trying to figure out where her place is in the world. When her teacher shows the class a video about a whale whose song isn‘t in line with other whales and can‘t communicate, Iris decides to try to help the whale, with help from her grandmother!

I enjoyed listening about the Padillo family. There are three POV‘s; Yolanda, her son Amadeo, and his daughter Angel. Their lives are complicated and honestly, all three of them kinda pissed me off with their choices. At times I thought, are people really this bad at getting through life, then thought, if I was in their situation, would I choose or adult any better? I have empathy for most of the characters, and a final happiness for the Padillo‘s

A good read to start to Women‘s History Month! When crazies brainwash others for control, in this case silencing women to 100 words a day and taking away any sort of independence. I did cringe when people were sent to Fort Meade. I live down the road and can hear the shooting range when I‘m doing yard work 😬
#pop22 ~ social horror
@KarenUK @Cinfhen @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB @Laughterhp @RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88

My February wrap-up! I completed five books and the two books on the top row were over 1500 pages combined! They were ALL great reads 😀

A nice morning to start new audiobook and walk to work! Happy Saturday!

This Gen X‘er enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Th Nineties covers topics in politics, sports, tv/movies, music, technology and pop culture. It was fun to look back at a time of my coming of age. I graduated high school, college and got married all in the 90‘s! It‘s amazing to think how culture and technology has evolved since then, including our perception and thinking as people.

A well written middle grades graphic novel that touches upon two important issues. Cultures and the importance of inclusion and learning from those that are not the same as you AND anxiety and depression. This story let‘s the reader know that it‘s ok to feel this way, you‘re not alone and talking about your feelings and what you‘re going through with parents, doctors and friends can be helpful.

Came across this new book at work today and had to share! A bright and colorfully illustrated picture book about Jimi Hendrix. This biography is written in verse and will appeal to any music lover, ages 7 and up (it‘s on the longer side.) I kinda loved it and added the recommended play list at the end of the book to listen to this weekend. Rock on, Litsy! 🎸

Rebecca Hall left the NYC to pursue a law degree from Berkeley and became a tenant‘s rights attorney. To better help her clients and understand the justice system, she went back to school to earn a PhD in history focusing on slavery. From this, her story was found and written; the stories of slave women who led revolts. This is a power graphic novel exploring women and slavery. The graphics are pretty amazing as well!

Whew! 29+ hour listen covering his family‘s immigration to America and finishing with his decision to run for president. This is Part 1 of 2 books. I enjoyed learning about who JFK was; his childhood, into adolescence, into an adult, war hero and his political career. I also liked the rosy and not so rosy parts of his life that are highlighted, not just all the love for this complicated president and ladies man. Now to wait for book 2.

Loved this one and can‘t wait for book club to discuss! It‘s long, too long for some, but I love really getting to know the characters, though most were rich snobs, there were plenty of layers to peel and they were nitty gritty. I loved the atmosphere and setting, loved how things escalated from one disaster to the next and I did not see that ending coming! This is one that I‘ll be thinking about for a long time. #pop22 ~ A book set in the 1980‘s

I love when I‘m reading two books and one references the other. The Secret History is referencing the Kennedy family and I‘m listening to the ginormous JFK! Little things 😊

Got some #bookmail delivered today! Thanks so much @wanderinglynn This may be an upcoming bookckub choice to be decided on next week. It‘s also listed on my #pop22 sheet! I‘m looking forward to it!

Dinner for one on this drizzly dark night. I‘m adjusting to being an empty nester with a traveling hubby and really enjoying this book, with few interruptions 🙂

My January reads. Managed a book club book, a few #pop22 books and a few just for me books. #JumpStart2022

Found this informative book at work today while manning the children‘s info desk. Great read for February‘s Black History Month!