There's Something About Sweetie is the natural companion to Dimple as it features Rishi's younger black-sheep brother Ashish. If Rishi is the golden boy in the Patel family, basketball star Ashish is a player, able to get any girl he sets his eye on. Unfortunately for his parents, none of those girls are Indian. After Ashish gets his heart broken by his latest girlfriend, he finally decides to let his parents play matchmaker, and he meets Sweetie. Sweetie Nair is every bit the star athlete that Ashish is, except on the track, despite her plus-size physique. And therein lies the rub. While Sweetie embraces her size, her mother does not, and she refuses to allow Sweetie to date Ashish.
Again, I don't want to give too much away, but this is the first book in ages that I read all in one day, if that tells you anything. Also, I think this is a really important book for teachers to have on their shelves because of the theme of size shaming. As someone who has gained and lost the same 20 pounds a hundred times in my life, I absolutely understand the struggle with being fat (and kudos to Sweetie for not applying a stigma to that word as the rest of society has done). In Sweetie, Menon has created a character who explores and pushes back against societal expectations of size and size shaming, and it's about time! Highly highly recommended!
0 Comments
So it's September--let's see how I'm doing with this year's reading challenge:
1. A book with a face on the cover - Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry 2. A book from a genre you don’t normally read - Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (I don't do autobiographies) 3. A book that makes you actually laugh out loud - Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry (parts, anyway) 4. A book set in the place/state you were born - The Lace Maker's Secret by Kathleen Ernst (Green Bay!) 5. A classic or retelling of a well-known story - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 6. A book you’ve avoided or never finished - A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 7. A book translated into your language 8. An award winner (Pulitzer, National Book Award, Newberry, etc.) - Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (Carnegie Medal) 9. A book recommended by someone younger than you - Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor 10. A biography, autobiography or memoir - Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg (Pete 2020!) 11. A book featuring a character who is different than you in some way (race, religion, abilities, etc.) - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline Looks like I'm just short one translated book. Any suggestions?
Varinka, meanwhile, had been hired by Sofya's family to help care for her infant son, but the capture of Sofya's family and the outbreak of war suddenly give Varinka the opportunity to take the boy as her own. Years elapse before Eliza (having endured heartbreak of her own) is finally able to track down Sofya, and all three women's lives intersect in Paris for a riveting climax. I found this a satisfying read, flawlessly combining historical elements with great characters who are based on real women! I can't wait to follow Eliza's daughter Caroline Ferriday in Lilac Girls.
In this installment of the series, security at the Department of Military Sciences has been compromised as the world's deadliest bioweapons have not only been stolen, but are available to the highest bidder. Enter Joe and Echo Team, hot on the trail of the latest domestic terrorist while trying to thwart the release of these bioweapons and control their apocalyptic results. Personally, Joe has a new love in his life, but in typical Maberry style, nothing is ever easy for Joe. The ending was truly gutting. Highly highly recommended read for action-lovers.
The other unique thing about the Joe Ledger series is that zombies and a mole on the team are just the antagonists in the first novel. As Joe and the Echo Team at DMS move forward, they continue to encounter terrorists and mad scientists, but each with a different agenda and a different weapon for Joe's team to decimate. Along with the incredible tense writing, the narration by Ray Porter is spot-on. I can't wait for Book 2!
My first review from this summer is Olivia Twist, which is a new take on the classic Oliver Twist story. In this new rendition, Olivia WAS Oliver when she was younger. When her mother dies in childbirth, Olivia's caretakers wisely raise her as a boy so she can survive the streets unmolested. She successfully passes herself off as Oliver, even to the Artful Dodger, until a random pickpocketing episode brings her face to face with her biological great uncle, who takes her in and allows her to reveal her true gender.
Years later, Olivia again comes in contact with the Dodger, now in the guise of handsome Jack MacCarron. Olivia is about to become engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in town, but Jack throws a monkey wrench into those plans. Much heavy breathing follows, but it's all very PG-rated. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable remake of the Dickens classic with a satisfying ending and enough action and suspense in the middle to keep me listening. This would be a great YA recommendation.
In case you just crawled out from under a rock, A Game of Thrones takes place in the land of Westeros, where seven kingdoms are ruled from one almighty Iron Throne. When we join the story in Book 1, King Robert holds sway, and he has just arrived at the home of his trusted bannerman Eddard Stark, accompanied by his "lovely" wife Cersei Lannister, her twin brother Jaime, her other brother Tyrion (The Imp), assorted children, etc.
Over the course of six books (so far I think), the story unspools to include realms beyond the seven kingdoms, magic, murder. And dragons. So, for those following along: genre = fantasy. The HBO series took place over eight seasons and went beyond the point where George R.R. Martin had written the books, which caused some pretty major controversy in the final episodes when major character may have acted in ways that many fans thought the characters would not have acted. Chaos ensued. Meanwhile, Martin can sit back and relax, because he still has books to write, and they DON'T HAVE to follow the series! Winner winner chicken dinner! Strictly speaking about the writing, Martin has to rank up there with Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, etc. for the breadth and depth of the world he's created. His characters are people you want to spend time with (well, some of them are) and are definitely people you will argue with your friends about (I definitely did). The whole point of the series is to determine who in the end is going to sit the Iron Throne. I know who does in the series (again--REALLY?) But will Martin choose the same conclusion? Only time will tell.
As Vivian and Molly start tackling the boxes, we get glimpses into Niahm's childhood--her departure from Ireland, the misfortunes of her family in New York, and her placement on an orphan train bound for Minnesota. Once there, her hopes for a decent family to take her in are shattered again and again as Niahm (known as Dorothy during this time of her life) tries unsuccessfully to find a home.
Molly, too, is looking for acceptance at her foster home, and she finds she has much in common with Vivian in her early years. When things finally blow up for Molly, Vivian is there to offer her solace and, in return, Molly helps Vivian to fill in missing pieces of her life. A great read for teens and adults. Strictly from a teaching standpoint, this would be a great book to use for an integrated unit in ELA/Social Studies integrating American Indian Studies (Act 31) and Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (sense of place). Molly's character is half American Indian, so American Indian symbolism is investigated in the novel. Also, the characters of Molly and Niahm/Vivian both experience shifting settings as they are constantly moved, which would lend itself to an investigation of a sense of place. Molly also has a school "Portage Project" which would make a wonderful actual integrated project for this novel in ELA and Social Studies. My teacher heart is so excited with this concept!
characters--Joana, Florian, Emilia, and Alfred--and I had to reread the first 30 pages or so probably three times before it really hooked me. Having said that, once I got into the rhythm of the constantly-shifting narrators (and once the characters connected with each other), I could not put it down.
The story takes place in the winter of 1945, as the Nazis are losing World War II, and the Russians are pushing West through Poland. The four main characters eventually find themselves at the port in Gotenhafen, trying desperately to flee before oncoming troops, and their stories converge onboard the Wilhelm Gustloff Each of the main characters has something significant to hide, so much of the first part of the book is spent in keeping their secrets. Once they reach the Gustloff, the tension continues to build until the climactic disaster and aftermath. I have to say, the character of Alfred was one of the creepiest, most irritating characters I've encountered in a while, but Sepetys does a fantastic job creating four completely realistic main characters. As I was reading it, the novel didn't strike me as YA, but it is from the Penguin Teen division, and I would certainly recommend it for the classroom. I also love that Sepetys shares much of her research and some verbatim interviews at the conclusion of the novel which will enhance the knowledge of readers. Definitely a recommended read. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|