Dounia and the Magic Seeds by Marya Zarif
One day I was looking at my online reader copy list and said, “Today I read you.” Well, I never did read that book, but read Dounia and the Magic Seeds instead. I had no real intention of reading it. The cover art was cute, but was not “doing it” for me. I was sure Yvette Ghione was a lovely person, but that was not helping me get into it. But the day I looked at another book, yet clicking on Dounia, I knew it […]
Why I Adopted My Husband: The true story of a gay couple seeking legal recognition in Japan by Yuta Yagi
Why I Adopted My Husband: The true story of a gay couple seeking legal recognition in Japan by Yuta Yagi is one of those books that you can give the book report on: it is from 2017 when two men show the world their love by becoming father and son…. sort of. But legally, they are. When same sex marriages are illegal (in Japan), how do two men secure their basic rights, and deal with such things as inheritances and medical decisions? In an open, […]
Flamer by Mike Curato
The simplicity of Flamer is deceptive. There is a lot going on within an image driven story. The text is realistic, and could be from the year 1995 (when the book is set) or today. The black and white illustrations help the story stay the main focus, and the use of fire and the color red is telling. Red is a strong plot mover/plot point as the red color and images becomes its own character. There is even the use of fire and it too becomes its […]
The Vegan Cake Bible by Sara Kidd
Bingo 3: Guide For a how-to category, it seems pretty obvious for me that I have to do a cookbook. Not only that, but this is a cookbook I bought while travelling, knowing full well it would be a struggle to fit into my luggage. Just based on the read-through, The Vegan Cake Bible might be worth it. I’m a decent baker but I’ve never been any good at decorating or getting things to look anything close to the picture. I have a tiny bit […]
Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
The girl on the cover has a necklace with a Star of David and she also has one that represents her Muscogee Nation heritage. And inside the Emily Bowen Cohen graphic novel, the struggle of a young girl unfolds as she learns what it means to be a “Real Native” and a “Real Jewish” Girl. In the story Two Tribes (inspired by the life of Cohen), we follow Mia and see how her two tribes/cultures have similarities, even in their differences. This is a coming […]
Pocket Peaches Volume 1 by Dora Wang
I was looking for quick reads one recent weekend, and I was not particularly picky, just as long as they were short and frankly, something that was not going to tax my brain too much. I found an online reader copy of the seriously sugary sweet book, (which is due late September 2023), Pocket Peaches Volume 1 by Dora Wang. The theme of being yourself is obvious and for the adult reader, predictable. It is good for kids who like fluffy bunnies and super cute animals and […]
