serenity

I just finished another fun zen embroidery piece.  This time I used up a lot of thread scraps and changed up the number of threads each time I changed threads (the knots are all different sizes).  Time-consuming and tedious work are synonymous with serenity to me.  I've been working on a few secret projects, but while I finish those I'll be starting another French knot piece.  My hands don't know what to do when they're not making French knots.  I guess this means I'll keep at it until I can't bear the thought of another French knot, which may be never.

Bully

Thanks to Visitant Lit for publishing my poem, Bully.

I've written a handful of poems about this patron who was a regular at multiple branches in my system for several years.  He stopped coming in a couple years ago and I haven't seen him since.  

The Capybaras

It’s tough to review this book without giving away the surprise ending, which is the best part. A family of capybaras need a safe place to hide during hunting season and they find a flock of chickens who begrudgingly give them a place to stay. But their relationship changes. Hunting season ends. Or does it? And do the chickens befriend the capybaras? If you’re like me, once you see the cover, you’ll be hooked by the illustrations, which aren’t fussy at all and carry the story ahead of its words, encouraging the reader to not miss a single detail.

Oh no!

I find a lot of scribbles in books at the library.  I also find boogers, torn pages, and the rare handwritten note, letter to a future reader, or beloved bookmark.  We have two full time children's librarians at my branch and we usually each take a section of books each week and flip through all the pages for any signs of damage or other mischief books like to get into (missing barcodes, books that travel to the wrong sections, inaccurate labels).  It's surprisingly relaxing and satisfying work, just keeping the books in proper order.  But I'm always excited to find a little extra.

Today's scribbles were found on a most interesting page.  It was almost like the page knew what was coming, or the page started hollering "Oh no!" once the pencil came out.  To the child, I'm sure their drawing was a masterpiece.  In the book's opinion, it was something far more sinister.  As for me, I had a nice long chuckle about it.

All You Knead is Love

All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero (Juvenile Fiction)

Alba is a lot like the sourdough bread she falls in love with after her mother sends her to Barcelona to live with her grandma, Abuela Lola, who she barely knows. Alba pretends she’s tough, so a lot of people only see a crusty 12 year-old, but on the inside she is a total softie. She’s dealing with a lot so she cries and runs away when she becomes overwhelmed. The first place Alba runs to is El Rincón del Pan, a bread shop owned by a kind family friend, Toni. Toni immediately starts teaching Alba how to bake bread, and this is where she starts to heal from the trauma of living in an abusive home. Just as Alba is embracing her new life, however, her past catches up with her. 

I appreciated how easily Alba cried and others embraced, accepted, and helped her instead of shutting her down or ignoring her. The characters in this story are truly wonderful, almost over-the-top wonderful. I’m pretty sure every person Alba meets in Barcelona loves her and wants to help her. They’re all eccentric, interesting, and kind. Though I rolled my eyes a few times at the lack of adversity, I think the traumatic home life Alba physically escaped from more than balances all the happiness Alba finds in herself and others in her new life. 

I read the eBook so maybe it’s more obvious with a physical copy, but I didn’t realize there was a Spanish/Catalan/Tagalong Glossary in the back. You will still be able to understand the story, but the glossary is great! It includes the page numbers and language of each phrase/line. I highly recommend checking the glossary as you read. 

I will leave you with two of my favorite quotes: 

“Abuela Lola’s place was filled with memories and stories, layers and layers of them compiled over the years.” 

And this lovely quote about family: “Being together was all that mattered. The rhythm of our breathing, the heat of our bodies, the scent of our shampoos swirling together.”

Assault

It's been over ten years since I read Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, and it continues to give me nightmares.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for a Cormac McCarthy/Don DeLillo class in college.  

If you're brave, check out my poem, Assault, published by Visitant Lit.  It does give me some comfort knowing there are other Child of God readers out there, haunted by his lines and unable to look at anything the same way ever again. 

Favorite October Reads Part 2

Here we go with a few more reviews!

Prairie Days by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Micha Archer (Picture Book)

With a picture book duo like Patricia Maclachlan and Micha Archer, this was one of those books I knew was going to be amazing even before I read it. Patricia Maclachlan paints a picture of a long-ago prairie summer day. The book is a feast for all senses. I can smell the flowers, taste the pop from the cold-water lift-top tanks, feel the wind from the horse rides, hear the dogs barking as they herd sheep, and feel the coziness of reading beneath a family quilt at the end of the day (my favorite moment). Though Maclachlan doesn't need help bringing her vivid imagery to life, Micha Archer's illustrations (read her bio about how she creates them) bring Maclachlan's words to life in an explosion of warmth, texture, and color.

Donust and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck (Teen Fiction)

Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love is one of those long books that weaves in and out of conflicts that last the entire story. I appreciated how it took its time and gave each conflict plenty of attention and respect. 

Oscar is in his senior year and knows what he wants to do after high school. His plans do not involve college. His dream is to continue working with his grandpa (Farfar) on their beloved Food Truck, Hej Hej. Farfar wants Oscar to keep an open mind and explore all his options. Farfar and Oscar’s relationship is one of the sweetest, realest, and most complex relationships I’ve encountered in a teen book. Farfar wants everything for Oscar, but more than anything else, he wants Oscar to be happy. 

Oscar begins his senior year hoping to get the last bit of coursework done without a lot of effort. This is where Lou comes in. Lou, also a senior, is extremely driven, has her sights set on a bunch of serious colleges, and is annoyingly smart and focused. She gets Oscar involved in a plan to reduce food waste, and before he knows what’s happening, he’s cranking out hundreds of apple treats with the apples students toss (a ridiculous amount of apples by the way). He’s initially bitter about being blindsided by the force that is Lou, but after a while his feelings become conflicted. To make matters even more confusing for him, Lou and Farfar hit it off and soon Lou is working in the food truck with them. 

I was completely won over by the characters in this story. I enjoyed their growth, not only as characters but also how their relationships grew. Lou is almost immediately embraced and included in Oscar and Farfar’s small family (mostly by Farfar in the beginning), which includes a darling cat who everyone sweet talks. There are also a handful of supporting characters who are equally interesting and really help flesh out Farfar and Oscar’s characters and roles in their community.

Witches of Brooklyn series by Sophie Escabasse (Juvenile Graphic Fiction)

When Effie shows up on Carlota and Selimene’s doorstep, nobody has any idea who is who or what is going on. Effie needs a home, and Selimene (stepsister of Effie’s mom) and Carlota are surprised by her arrival. Selimene is furious about being disturbed so late in the evening she throws a proper fit and says all kinds of dastardly things to the social worker. In one short evening, Effie, Carlota, and Selimene become a family for better or worse. 

Effie can just about match Selimene’s saltiness, but underneath all the salt, they are true softies. Carlota is wise and nurturing and provides a dose of calm and reason when Effie and Selimene become loud and moody. Watching them grow as a family is pretty special. It’s rocky, hilarious, sweet, and enchanting. 

While they are working on becoming a family and Effie is navigating a new school and friends, a special musician and her entourage show up in the middle of the night with an unusual problem. This is when Effie discovers her aunts are witches! And she is too! 

As you can tell, this book has a little bit of everything, but I would be doing the book an injustice if I didn’t mention the illustrations. They are spectacular - full of emotion, not too wordy, and there is a librarian knight with his own font and a quirky pink pet dog/cat (it's tough to tell) who shows off a little magic of his own in the second book in the series.

The Doran series by Monica Furlong (Juvenile Fiction)

I have read the first (amazing) and second (BEAUTIFUL cover but not as good as the first) and am eagerly waiting for the third.  My library doesn't own these books so I have been requesting them from other library systems.  

Wise Child lives with her grandmother in a small village in remote Scotland. Her mother left when she was a small child and her father is at sea. When her grandmother dies, the only person who will take Wise Child is Juniper, a healer and Doran (the closest word I can think of is witch and a Doran is so much more) who is both revered and feared by the village. 

Initially, Wise Child is a brat who cannot take care of herself. Juniper immediately begins teaching her everything – herbs, school subjects like math and Latin, and home skills such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their animals. Wise Child does not like the hard work, but she flourishes thanks to it and Juniper’s unconditional love and interest in her. 

Wise Child’s mom is a sorceress who does not use her powers to heal. She makes multiple attempts to steal Wise Child, and the struggle Wise Child feels between her mom (who is not a good person but has an easy life) and Juniper (who loves her unconditionally and wants to teach her everything she knows) is raw and intense and really pulls the reader into the struggle. 

I admired Juniper’s wise, gentle, and stark observations on life and human behavior. I also appreciated how Wise Child grew to understand that Juniper’s silence held more weight than words at times. Juniper truly appreciates that there is a lot of beauty and peace found in everyday work and routines, and she is patient when she repeatedly shares this lesson with Wise Child. I quickly disappeared into the evolution of their relationship and Wise Child’s character growth. Though Wise Child’s struggle to find out where she belongs is painful at times, I finished the book with feelings of warmth, comfort, and curiosity. 

Favorite October Reads Part 1

October was another month filled with lots of good books.  It's starting to get chilly here so I've been spending a little more time buried under blankets and books.  Reading is one of my favorite parts of hibernating.

This will be a double post.  Going forward, I'm going to post these reviews as I write them.  Hopefully this will help each book stand out more.

Bear is a Bear by Jonathan Stutzman and illustrated by Dan Santat (whose work I adore) (Picture Book)

This book will stomp all over your heart and make you cry but in a good way, I promise! The story reminds me a little of Calvin and Hobbes, The Giving Tree, and Love You Forever, but it's definitely a one-of-a-kind book about the evolution of friendship between a beloved stuffed bear and his girl as she grows up, goes to college, and has a child of her own. There is so much to look for in the illustrations, which are magnificent. I had to take a moment when I reached the page where Bear climbs into the chest. That page really got to me. Grown-ups are going to love this. Kids will have fun looking at the illustrations, but I imagine a lot of them will be offering their grown-ups a tissue.

Lost Things by Carey Sookocheff (Picture Book)

How can a book with simple lines and illustrations be so complex? My theory is that by keeping the text and illustrations so simple, the multiple stories, which are all connected to each other and cyclical to boot, really have a chance to go deeper and tangle with each other while making perfect sense. I enjoyed following the lost objects as they found new homes. I thought the different speculations about what lost items mean to their new homes and people were surprisingly profound. There’s a little bit of “Que Será, Será” to this book, a call to embrace and accept our losses and use our imaginations to think up new homes for lost things.

This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder (Picture Book)

When a little girl welcomes a new sibling to the world, she explains everything she’s “worked out so far.” It’s an imaginative, winding journey through her speculations, favorite things, advice she’s heard from grown-ups, things that make her special, and what she wants to share with her new sibling. The illustrations are unusual and wonderful. The little girl and her new sibling are drawn lifelike in pencil. Everything else is in crayon, wildly colorful, and a little abstract.

Dragon Night by J.R. Krause

Georgie is afraid of the night and Dragon is afraid of the knight in the story he lives in. After Georgie and Dragon figure out they are talking about two totally different things, they begin to help each other with their fears. I don’t want to give too much away, but their solutions for the scary night/knight are considerate, thoughtful, and ingenious. I also thought the illustrations were magnificent. The dragon’s face is so expressive. I felt such a wonderful connection with the dragon and have been enjoying ruminating the possibility of characters strolling in and out of their stories.