I read some good books this summer that I don't want to forget about! Here they are in no particular order:
Jubilee discovered these at the library some years ago and loved them, and bought each one as it came out. This spring, Sam enjoyed them all and he finally convinced me to read them over the summer. I have no regrets -- they're a solid contribution to the fantasy graphic novel for ages 8+. The Five Worlds are out of balance and some say that lighting the beacons will save them, but others think the beacons will destroy more than they save. The books have some beautiful art and some memorable intrigue and characters. Recommended.
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
by Brené Brown
I have enjoyed some talks and videos by the author, so I opted for the audiobook, and listened to this one. I really enjoyed it. It centers around belonging, especially in a modern, polarized world. It talks about elements needed for belonging, and for those moments when we realize we don't want to belong but to "brave the wilderness" instead. The stories in the book were captivating, and the research-backed conclusions and advice in it ring true.
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer
My book club friends asked me to pick a "beach read" and this was my pick. Not exactly beachy in any way, really, The Talisman Ring is both a light-hearted murder mystery and a comedic romance. On the Old English coast, local baron Sylvester dies and on his deathbed he insists on the betrothal of his nephew Sir Tristram and to his granddaughter Eustacie. Unfortunately they are a terrible match for each other. Eustacie runs away at midnight and meets her true love, who is wanted for murder. The rest is a series of madcap adventures and humorous scenes which all come together happily in the end.
Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton
Ben checked this one out from the library and I read it, too. It was an enjoyable sci-fi story about an expendable man. Mickey signed up to go on a dangerous planet-colonizing mission and to be the one who would upload his brain regularly and do all the jobs likely to end in death, knowing that his clone would come out of the machine if anything happened to him. I particularly liked the characters in this book, who were a lot of fun and drove the plot well. I wasn't surprised to learn that the book has been made into a movie, but I'll stick with the book, because descriptions of Mickey's deaths weren't too gory, and I think the movie would be worse for me, in that sense. There was a bedroom scene, and if I remember right a little bit of language that I could have done without, but overall it was a fun book, and I loved the ending.
The Demon in the Freezer: A True Story by Richard Preston
Ashley Z picked this one for book club and it was an enthralling, unpleasant read. We agreed as a club that we loved it but were totally grossed out. It talks a lot about anthrax, and the anthrax scare of 2001, which was pending investigation at the time this book was published. It also goes into depth about smallpox -- its symptoms, eradication, and status today. It was very interesting, but I did have to skip ahead in the audio once or twice when descriptions became too gruesome for me. Nevertheless, I feel better educated for having read it. It was also super interesting to read it from a post-covid point of view, since global pandemic is a big point of speculation in the book.
Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones
I checked this one out of the library because the library didn't have The First Days of School by Harry Wong. No regrets, though! This book had a lot of interesting and helpful tips for middle and high school teachers. I'm still mulling over the advice on classroom furniture placement, step-by-step guidance, and motivational learning games. It seemed like an oldy but a goody, and I read the whole thing. I did also find and skim through a copy of The First Days, as well.
