Holy hornets!

It has been very busy for me.  I just had a four-program week at work in addition to all the other lovely library things (SO MUCH library happiness I can't stand it), and I am immersed in personal projects galore.  I do not have time to read, but books are my fuel and once I open a good book, I'm completely gone.  I have been reading so many good books!  Don't the books know I don't have time for them to be amazing?  The books aren't listening! 

I recognize I have a problem though.  When Robert asked what I was going to do to celebrate the end of a crazy, crazy week, I told him I was rewarding myself with a trip to a local bookstore.  He didn't even say a word.  That's a good husband, right there.

Here are reviews of just a few of the stellar books I've read in the last couple of weeks.  

Better with Butter By Victoria Piontek (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade Level: 3-7.  Marvel has a lot of anxiety and it's affecting her friendships, grades, and ability to make it through a school day.  One day, while walking home from school, she stumbles upon a group of kids bullying a fainting goat.  Summoning courage that she doesn't think she has, Marvel intervenes and rescues the goat, who has a name tag that reads, Butter.  Butter and Marvel are instant friends and protectors of each other.  

Marvel learns that Butter can be an emotional support animal and begins taking her to school.  With Butter at her side, Marvel is finally able to relax and make friends.  Her anxiety still hums along in the background, but it's manageable.  

Will her principal allow her to keep bringing Butter to school and will Butter's previous owner show up?  I'm not telling!  

I think Piontek does a great job illustrating what it's like to have anxiety.  I have struggled with anxiety my entire life, but I found myself occasionally frustrated with Marvel's inability to take action and get out of her own mind.  I think this demonstrates how beautifully complex Marvel’s character is.  I saw a lot of myself in Marvel (oh how I wish I had an emotional support fainting goat to get me through the tough years!), but I also felt a lot of empathy for her family and classmates who were trying to befriend, love, and support her.  Anxiety is hard, and connecting with those who have anxiety is hard.  Bravo, Piontek for demonstrating both sides so well!  

Though I think goats are stinky and a little obnoxious (I’ve spent some time on a goat farm), I couldn’t resist Butter’s charm.  I was really impressed with how many tricks Marvel taught Butter and how deeply they loved one another.  

After reading this I surrendered to the almighty Google and happily disappeared into the world of fainting goats and their contribution to the world of emotional support animals.  I urge you to do the same.  Especially if you are having a tough day and need the kind of love only a fainting goat can give.  

Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty and illustrated by David Roberts (Picture Book)

Holy hornets this is funny!

A family is trying to get their house ready for grandma and their cat keeps mixing up the chore list in the hopes of avoiding a bath.

I know you’re asking, how does the cat mix up the chore list and more importantly, does the cat win? Well, the cover really says everything, but there’s also an illustration of the cat looking all sorts of smug while he’s being rocked instead of bathed. So, you can read this book without sitting on the edge of your seat - the cat wins!

The best moment happens when grandma shows up and she really doesn’t look like she gives a hoot that the housework is done. She’s just thrilled to see everyone.

I found myself wondering if this story is an ode to families pulling together to get things done even when the odds are against them, or rather, when their efforts are continuously foiled by their cat? Is it an ode to cats winning, always, no matter what? Is an ode to a grandma’s love? Or is the whole book just a reason for the illustrator to show the world how amazing he is at creating frantic expressions, especially on the faces of goldfish?

Recycle and Play by Agnes Hsu (Adult Nonfiction)

Recycle and Play captured my heart with the egg carton flower idea. I save a lot of things like lids and paper towel rolls, but now I'll be setting back egg cartons and a few other things after reading this book. The steps are easy to follow, most projects are only two picture-filled pages, and the ideas have many different avenues you can take. For example, I like her rainbow letter idea but may make the rainbow out of something other than paint. The best part of this book is that most of the items needed are ones we normally throw away.

The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey (Adult Fiction)

I got completely lost in Fiona, Dottie, and Viviana’s adventures as Clubmobile Girls. They travel to London, train to become Clubmobile Girls, and make daily treks in their giant truck to support and boost the morale of American troops during WWII. Their journeys were impactful, terrifying, fulfilling, and incredibly immersive. Healey’s ability to create so many memorable characters is remarkable. I would have been thrilled just tagging along with Fiona, Dottie, and Viviana, but I developed connections with other Clubmobile Girls and all of their love interests. A lot of characters can quickly get overwhelming for me, but Healey created the characters and their relationships slowly. It felt like she was making a cake of many tiers and each tier included an additional group of characters. I also enjoyed the author’s note, which listed the larger events and whether they were fact or fiction. I was surprised to discover a lot of it was true. I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading about friendships, WWII, historical fiction, or badass women.