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 […]
Normal People by Sally Rooney
“He was like a freezer item that had thawed too quickly on the outside and was melting everywhere, while the inside was still frozen solid. Somehow he was expressing more emotion than at any time in his life before, while simultaneously feeling less, feeling nothing.” ― Sally Rooney, Normal People CBR15Bingo: Adulthood CBR15Passport: Books from different countries Connell and Marianne grow up together in the same small town in Ireland. Connell is the nerd and jock who hangs out with the wealthier, more popular kids. […]
The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon
Oof, this book is messy and emotional. At it’s center The Minus-One Club is a story of grief and finding your way forward after the death of a loved one, but it is also a story of friendship and identity. Kermit just lost his sister after a drunk driver hit her car head-on, and now he has to go back to school and try getting back to “normal.” But he finds an anonymous note in his locker inviting him to a secret meeting, where other […]
Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington
I did it again. I was emailed “the book is here, please pick it up” and I said, “What book?” “Why this book? How did it get on my radar? Who was I when I thought this sounded interesting? When was this request done? Where was I sitting when I thought to request?” Okay, not that one. But the other questions (maybe) happened. But regardless of the who, what, when, where, why and how of it all, I am glad I did request Catching a […]
Abigail the Whale by Davide Cali
CBR15Passport book set another country: Davide Cali is a Swiss-born Italian and book was originally in French I had forgotten I had requested Abigail the Whale when I received the email saying it was on hold for me at the library. Why did I request this book? I remembered when I saw the cover. Oh, yes, this was the book about body image. Now where did I see it again? That did not matter as I quickly realized this is a book that it […]
Zara’s Big Messy Playdate by Rebekah Borucki
Zara's Big Messy Goodbye by Rebekah Borucki
Zara's Big Messy Day by Rebekah Borucki
Zara's Big Messy Bedtime by Rebekah Borucki
I never know what I will find when I browse catalogs (in hand or online). Recently I found (on Edelweiss) Zara’s Big Messy Books. These books are currently available, but I had them as reader copies, so there are a few “missing” pieces, such as I am not sure of the size of them, and I think that might affect some of the readers willingness to read. I was unfamiliar with the author, so it is the perfect author for CBR15Passport. Rebekah Borucki has […]
