Audiobook: Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…

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by Jason Reynolds
Read by Guy Lockard
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: It’s a book about teen sex. There is none actual, but there is a lot of talk about it. There is also swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Teen (grades 9+) section of the bookstore.

Neon and his girlfriend, Aria, have been talking about this night for months: they have been dating for two years and are ready to have sex. Except, as the book opens, Neon is in the bathroom, freaking out. As the book unfolds, going backward in time, we learn about Neon and Aria’s relationship to each other, to their families, and to their friends. We learn about how Neon’s parents are handling him having a steady boyfriend and about their relationship to each other. We learn about Neon’s highs and lows, and basically how he got to this specific moment, in the bathroom, about to take this step.

I think this is an important book. Seriously: I think a book that is frank about consent and parents having healthy discussions about sex with their children is important to have out there. It’s a magnet for the book banners, who don’t want any sex near teens, but honestly, I think honest discussion is a better way to deal with teens having sex rather than ignoring it. And Reynolds knows how to write about difficult subjects with humor and in ways that kids (and yes, parents) can relate to.

This is also a book that I think I enjoyed a lot more on audio. Lockhard Is a fantastic narrator, and he made all the characters come alive for me. It’s a quick read/listen, and I’m glad I did.

Highly recommended.

Sourcery

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by Terry Pratchett
First sentence: “There was a man and he had eight sons.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s a Pratchett novel, so there’s really nothing, except that it’s a bit long. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

I picked this one up because for #ReadICT I needed a book published the year I turned 16, which was 1988. I looked at lists of the best sellers and top books, and nothing spoke to me until I stumbled across this one. Ah, I thought I could always read another Discworld book that I hadn’t read. I haven’t dabbled in the Rincewind books at all – I’ve never been much interested – but I figured why not. It’s a Terry Pratchett book.

This one is simple in plot: wizards aren’t supposed to have kids because there is a chance of sorcerers, and those are Bad. Except one wizard did have kid – the eighth son of an eighth son, which I find hilarious – and eventually he came to take over the Unseen University. Rincewind – and friends he picked up along the way – are sent to keep the Archmage hat safe (or as safe as possible, which, of course, doesn’t work very well) from the sorcerer, and so that the Apocalypse can be (narrowly) avoided.

But Pratchett’s books are not about the plot. They’re about the journey, and the little asides, and the footnotes, and the humor that you find. And, while this one isn’t my favorite (and it’s not even as good as Hogfather, which I read at the beginning of the year), it was still fun. It made me laugh, I was entertained, and I read it much quicker than I’ve been reading pretty much anything else these days.

Then again, it’s Sir Terry. I don’t think he ever wrote a bad book. Just more good and less good. And maybe this one was less good for me, but it’s still a delight.

Middle-Grade Graphic Novel Round-Up

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Speak Up, Santiago!
by Julio Anta and Gabi Mendez
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: March 4, 2025
Content: There is some acting mean on the part of the main character. It’ll be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section when it comes out.

Santiago is the child of first-generation immigrants, which means he was drenched in his Colombian heritage. Except he didn’t learn Spanish, which means he doesn’t have much of a relationship with his Abuela, who doesn’t speak much English. So, the summer before seventh grade, his parents send him to live a month with his Abuela, hoping to help Santi become more comfortable with his Spanish. While there, he meets friends and joins a soccer team. He makes mistakes and gets insecure with his ability to speak Spanish, but in the end, he realizes that it’s the connection with his Abuela that’s the most important thing.

This one was delightful. I love that a good portion of it was in Spanish (with translations for those of us who aren’t fluent) and that Santi worked hard to communicate in Spanish. I liked that there was some conflict between those who are native speakers and Santi, and that the struggled with that. I also liked the friend group he found while he was at his grandmother’s; they were an interesting group of kids, ones I’d like to see more books about (which I think the authors are planning).

A good, solid, graphic novel for kids.

Sword of the Champion
by Eric Lide
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: March 11, 2025
Content: There is some violence, but it’s mostly cartoon-y. It will be in the MIddle Grade Graphic Novel section when it comes out.

Orin is in training to be a knight in his town, when he suddenly becomes the Chosen One of the Goddess, tasked to defeat the evil Fiendlord. He is joined on this quest by an entrepreneurial sorceress and together – with a couple of fiends they pick up along the way – they set out to get the Sword of Champions and head to defeat the Fiendlord (who is mostly just trying to impress his teenage daughter).

It’s a silly book, this, but one that is a lot of fun to read. It reminded me strongly of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign for kids, with a lot of low-level fighting to level up, and some huge monsters to defeat at the end. There is a bit of a message about self-confidence and believing in your own abilities, but mostly it’s just silly fun.

Perfect for those who feel a hole in their lives now that Amulet and Zita are done.

Dear Dad
by Jay Jay Patton with Kiara Valdez and Marika Jenai
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There is talk of an incarcerated parent. It’s in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Jay Jay is nine, and her dad is in jail. she doesn’t really have much of a connection with him; it’s expensive to call, and sometimes the letters don’t get to him. So, when he is released and gets a job coding – something he learned to do while in prison – he teaches Jay Jay and then together they create a website and an app that will connect those who are incarcerated with their families.

It wasn’t a bad graphic novel; I just wanted something more. I wanted it to be less about the journey to creating an app – which is great, I’m glad they did! – and more about her feelings about having a dad who is in jail, and the conflicts after he’s released. There was some, but it was really glossed over. Jay Jay also moved in the middle of the book – from Buffalo to Florida – and I wanted more about the adjustment she had to make. It just wasn’t quite enough of a book for me.

Which is too bad; the subject it quite important.

Monthly Round-up: October 2024

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It’s been a pretty crazy month. I’d blame Mercury in retrograde, but I don’t think that’s the reason. It just feels very much like everything, everywhere all at once. That said, I finished a lot of really excellent books this month. My favorite, though, was this one:

What I Ate in One Year

Tucci is an excellent food writer. I hope he does more.

As for the rest:

Middle Grade:

The Sherlock Society (audiobook)
The Hotel Balzaar (audiobook)
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night
Grow up Luchy Zapata

Adult Fiction:

The Bones Beneath My Skin
The Ex Hex
We Solved Murders (audiobook)

Non-Fiction:

Field Notes for the Wilderness
Every Valley

What was your favorite this month?

Audiobook: We Solve Murders

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by Richard Osman
Read by Nicola Walker
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There are some murders (obviously: it’s in the title), but nothing gory, as well as mild swearing (and maybe one or two f-bombs that I’m not recalling right now). It’s in the Mystery section of the bookstore.

Amy Wheeler is a bodyguard-for-hire, and very good at her job. She’s a professional, and is determined to protect her latest client, the bestselling mystery author Rosie D’Antonio. Except someone is out to kill Amy instead. The one person she can trust is her father-in-law, Steve. A retired cop-turned-low-stakes PI, Steve just wants to be at home. But he cares about his daughter-in-law, and when she asks, he comes. Even if it means flying across the world. (Though he does get spoiled by all the private jets he flies on.) The question is: can they figure out who is trying to kill Amy (and set her up for several other murders) before they actually manage to succeed?

Oh, this one was a lot of fun! I listened to The Thursday Murder Club and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I’m not surprised. This one had a lot of twists and turns and action plus quite a bit of humor and kept me thoroughly entertained. It ended up being one of those books that wanted to keep listening to. Part of that was Walker’s narration; she was absolutely fabulous with the characters and driving the narration forward. But the other part is Osman’s gift for not only writing fully fleshed-out older people (him and Clare Pooley, honestly) but for writing a solid mystery that kept me entertained while also guessing at whodunit.

Highly recommend this one.

Grow Up Luchy Zapata

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by Alexandra Alessandri
First sentence: “It’s a well-known fact that Colombians living outside the motherland will find a way toward each other like magnets.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy pilfered off the shelves at work.
Content: There is some bullying. It’s in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Luchy and Cami have been friends their entire lives – it comes from being Colombian in Miami and having parents who are good friends. But, the summer before sixth grade, Cami goes to Colombia and comes back different: she’s into make-up and boys, and wants to “reinvent herself” now that they’re in middle school. Except Luchy likes things the way they are. She’s content with herself and where she is, and she doesn’t want things to change.

But what starts as a change becomes a huge rift, and things escalate until they get out of control. How does Luchy figure out how to navigate middle school without her best friend.

I was talking to a librarian of a K-8 school in a nearby town at the store the other day, and we were lamenting how many middle-grade books had characters who have crushes in them. It’s all fine and good to write characters with crushes, but sometimes, you just need to have a story about kids who are friends and not make it about relationships. Thankfully, Alessandri stuck to the friendship element of the story (Cami has crushes, but it wasn’t a big deal to the story) and doesn’t go down the “who likes who” road. I’m not saying there’s not a place for that; I’m just a little tired of reading books where that is a main element. I like that this one focused on Luchy’s struggle with her heritage – her parents didn’t speak Spanish at home and so she never learned, and she doesn’t really feel connected to Colombia – as well as her friendship with Cami. It’s a good portrayal of the struggle that sixth grade and middle school often is, and I’m glad Alessandri didn’t gloss over the friendship struggles that come along with that.

A really solid middle grade book.

The Ex Hex

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by Erin Sterling
First sentence: “Never mix vodka and witchcraft.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There is on-screen sex as well as some swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

When she was 19, Vivienne had a summer fling with Rhys Penhallow, which ended badly – breaking her heart. So, she and her cousin Gwyn “hexed” him – mostly in jest, but maybe there’s something more. Because 9 years later, Rhys is back in Graves Glen to charge the ley lines and things have gone horribly wrong. Maybe the hex that Vivienne and Gwyn did had some teeth after all.

As Vivi and Rhys try to figure out how to reverse the hex, they realize that maybe what they had 9 years ago wasn’t just a summer fling. Maybe it was something more. Can they fix the hex in time?

I picked this up last year intending to read it at Halloween, but never did. So, when I was looking for something fun and fluffy to read, I found this one sitting on a shelf. Why not read a witchy romance? And I’m so glad I did. It was everything I wanted: fun, sassy, fluffy, and utterly delightful. I liked the witchy touches – the tarot cards and the spells – and also the whole Halloween vibe of the book. It’s the perfect cozy book for the season (especially for those of us who don’t do scary).

An utter delight.

Audiobook: Every Valley

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by Charles King
Read by Juliet Stevenson
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Release date: October 29, 2024
Content: There’s talk of slavery, colonialism, affairs, and general debauchery. It will be in the History section of the bookstore.

Much like anyone who grew up involved in music, I’m very familiar with Handel’s Messiah. But, until I saw this book in the November IndieNext, I never really gave much thought to how Handel came to compose the work. I probably assumed it was just something he composed at one point in his life. What I didn’t realize was the political and social circumstances that surrounded the piece. I never stopped to consider who wrote the libretto – I suppose I just assumed Handel adapted it from scripture – or the role it might have played in 18th-century England.

All this to say, I found this book fascinating. Stevenson is an excellent narrator for this journey. I learned a lot about Handel, but also the political circumstances in England and Europe and the eccentrics surrounding the piece of music. It sounds outlandish because it’s just an oratorio, but there is a pretty remarkable story about how a random oratorio in Handel’s repertoire became The Messiah.

All this to say: this book is excellent.

The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night

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by Steven Banbury
First sentence: “She ran.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s a little long, and mildly scary at moments. It’s in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Eve was in an orphanage, but she was incredibly unhappy. She had several failed escape attempts, but one Hallows Eve night, she ran away and straight into the path of the Pumpkin King. He was impressed with her spirit, and adopted her on the spot: he needed an heir, she needed a home. It was perfect. Except that she’s living and Hallowell Valley is a haven for the undead – witches, ghosts, gouls, vampires, and werewolves, and the like. She stubbornly makes her home there, and even makes a couple of friends. That is, until things go sideways, and it looks like someone it trying to take the Pumpkin King’s kingdom away. Can Eve and her friends figure out what’s going on before it’s too late?

To be honest: I thought this was a graphic novel when I picked it up. It’s not – just in case you were wondering. But it is a very cozy, very sweet little story of found family and learning to love and making good change where you’re at. I thought it was cute and charming, but I’m not entirely sure it’s going to be one that kids will gravitate to. Maybe certain kids, and I’m sure it would be a very fun Halloween read-aloud. But, I am not sure that it’s one of those books that kids are going to love. I might be wrong. At any rate, I thought it was a clever idea, well-executed, and very sweet in the end.

The Bones Beneath My Skin

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by TJ Klune
First sentence: “He sang along with the radio.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: February 4, 2025
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs; lots of violence; and on-screen sex. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

The thing I have come to believe, after having read 8 of the 11 books Klune has published (I didn’t finish the werewolf series), is that he is deeply interested in Humanity and how we express our humanness. In many cases he has hope: his characters are always flawed, but somehow they find their way to a Better World. Mostly that world is through found family because many of the humans in Klune’s books suck and are terrible people. But that’s the way of the world, isn’t it? We are lost souls, surrounded by people who want to stop us, hurt us, reject us, and yet we find our People and Make It Through and somehow find Happiness.

This one – even though it’s a republished book that Klune wrote in 2018 – is no different. The setting is different: It’s 1995 and Nate has just been fired from his job at the Washington Post. His parents have also died – it was a murder-suicide – and left him the family cabin in a remote part of Oregon. So, he heads out there and discovers two people – a man and a girl – in his cabin. He doesn’t kick them out., and that decision changes his life forever.

That’s the basic plot without giving too much away. (Saying it’s Stranger Things meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind but gay would be a decent elevator pitch.) It’s a good book – I think his later books are better, but that’s not to say this isn’t good – but it’s a weird one. I don’t think this one is going to be for everyone. It’s also coming on the heels of Somewhere Beyond the Sea, which is amazing, so there’s a lot to live up to. But if you’ve committed to reading everything Klune writes (and why haven’t you?) then it’s a good one. It’s more action-packed and less ruminative than his other books, but there are still quirky-charming characters and a love story at the center of it. It’s about finding family and home and happiness, and who doesn’t want to read about that?

So, while it’s not my favorite one of Klune’s books, it’s still a good one.