Our Library Bag: June 2021

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June means that it is officially summer reading season! Our library bag is bursting with adventures, mysteries, gorgeous illustrations, and just all around goodness. 

I know that I haven't shared an Our Library Bag since October 2020, but never fear, we've been keeping our wonderful librarians busy.  My Goodreads log has me at 26 books for the year.  My TBR pile has several books from Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading List, Sarah's Favorites, and various other sources.  I even have a book for Library Book Club!  I was thrilled to receive the email stating that Book Club and the Friends of the Library Book Sale will be back in July!

The Silent Patient by by Alex Michaelides

Here's the brief description from Amazon: "The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive."   This book was, and still is, making quite a stir in a couple of bookish Facebook groups that I'm in and I decided to join the masses and read it.  It was really enthralling.  I was immediately drawn into the story.  

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline 

From Amazon, "Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action-packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again."  This was a fun read, but hugely problematic plot-wise and pandering a bit too much to the original audience.  

My current read is the third book of the 100 Cupboards series, The Chestnut King. I shared a picture over on Instagram. 

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We are finishing up Read Aloud Revival's May Picture Book List.  (I think there are some fellow RAR enthusiasts in my library system, because there are more and more holds on the books on these lists!)  Some of our current favorites include: A Nest Is Noisy, The Tiny Seed, and Ojiichan’s Gift.

What is on your summer reading list?

Our Library Bag: August 2020

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Summer reading is about to give way to autumn reading. I've been busy preparing for the school year, but since so many things are cancelled (like our Disney Annual Passes), I've been able to squeeze in some extra reading time.  My last Library Bag post was June, but never fear, we've been keeping our dear librarians busy. 

I'm curious: how is your library currently operating? Are things "back to normal"? Is your library even open yet? Can you place holds?  Inter-library Loans?  Pay fines?  We have reduced hours, a three day holding period for returns, most (but not all) branches are open, limited resources, and large sections of the library are blocked off from patrons.  However, I did just get an email that fines will be re-instated for overdue books starting Monday, so I wonder if other things will be returning to normal operations. 

Skyward and Starsight

My husband recently introduced me to the writings of Brandon Sanderson.  As soon as he finished reading Skyward he told me that he thought it might be one that I would enjoy.  Thirty-six hours and over 500 pages later . . . well, he was right.  Of course, I devoured the squeal, Starsight immediately afterwards.  I was more than a little disappointed to learn that the third book isn't due to come out until Spring of 2021.  

The Guest List

Lucy Foley's telling of this tale is masterful.  I saw someone say it was better as a retelling of "Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie than the original story.  I was dubious, because Christie is in a league of her own; however, I must say, it is very good.  It's a twisting whodunit, while also being a who's-going-to-get-it.  It's an incredibly entertaining thriller.  (It's definitely a grown up book though, with very adult themes and probably could use some trigger warning labels.)

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I picked this book up because it's the Mama Book Club pick over at @readaloudrevival. It's really good. (I think Fall of Merigolds was better, but this one is really solid.) #secretsofacharmedlife #susanmeissner #summerreading #yesthatsafrozenbook

A post shared by Rachel Furlong (@philwife) on Aug 12, 2020 at 9:19am PDT

Secrets of a Charmed Life and A Fall of Marigolds

With its vivid characters and gripping story this is an engaging read.  A modern day American scholar interviews an elderly woman about her WWII memories.  Most of the book is the story of Emmy trying to find her place in a torn apart world. (I may have geeked out a bit when Susan Meissner commented on my Instagram post!)  

If you follow me on IG, then you might have seen another Meissner book, A Fall of Marigolds.  This book had me in tears.  For whatever reason, this book was hard to pick up, but once I did I couldn't put it down.  It also had a modern and a historical story line: one character from 1911 who lost a loved one in the tragic Triangle Park fire; the second character is from modern times and lost someone in the horrific 9/11 attacks.  It's all tied together by a marigold scarf.  While I thought both books were good, I think Marigolds is a bit better: the intertwining stories were more developed.

That's all for now, the children are going to go wild if we don't go swimming right this minute.  Ah, summer!  (And spring, and fall, and even winter . . . we live in Florida.)  

What have you been reading lately?

Our Library Bag: June 2020

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Yikes, my last Library Bag post was in March.  How can life be so busy when I barely leave the house?  Our library began curbside pick up last month and we have truly appreciated it.  (I'm uncertain if my local librarians love me or hate me . . . )  Here's a small sampling of what we've been reading: 

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I had found this book for my daughter, but due to her encouragement I have now found myself enthralled with the series.  

The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon
This novel is loosely based on the real life, and unsolved, mystery of Judge Crater who went missing from the East Coast in 1930.  Gangsters, speakeasies, corruption, and intrigue all weave together for an enjoyable page turner.  I thought this was a very clever "possible" solution to the disappearance.

Lassie: Come Home by Eric Knight
My oldest read this for one of her literature classes this year.  (We used the Memoria Press study guide.)  Having never read this particular classic before, I enjoyed reading it along side of my daughter.  It's a sweet story of love, loyalty, and determination.

Bedtime Math: An Excuse to Stay Up Late
My kids are really enjoying the whole Bedtime Math series, especially my middle child.  It's silly little stories mixed with math questions.

Prairie Boy: Frank Lloyd Wright Turns the Heartland into a Home by Barb Rosenstock

I really love houses.  I love to see the different architectural features that make a home special.  I follow Facebook pages like For the Love of Old Houses somewhat religiously.  (Seriously, I try to vote in their polls almost every night.)  All this is to say, I was very excited to see a biography about Frank Lloyd Wright in the form of a picture book.  The kids and I had quite an enjoyable time discussing the various styles of homes. 

Parting Questions!

 I am doing really well on my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge.  I'll be honest, I didn't aim very high (for me), with a goal of forty books.  I've already finished 31 books so I am quite a bit ahead of schedule.  Did you have reading goals for this year?  Are you on track to reach your goal?  Have the recent current events helped or hindered you reaching your goal?

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet!  

Summer Reading & Our Library Bag #7

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It's summer reading season!  I love that "summer reading" is such a powerful phenomenon.  Last night while organizing digital photos I listened to a Libromania podcast simply titled "The Summer Reading Episode".  It was quite delightful, and in it a question was posed that I'm curious how other book loving people would answer: 

Is your summer reading different from your regular reading?

I don't think my summer reading is different from my spring, fall, or winter reading in any remarkable way.  I have added quite a few more titles to my Want To Read list due to so many favorite bloggers publishing summer reading lists . . . but I think that I work through that list pretty equally throughout the year.  (Of course, there are times when I read more than other times.  I'm currently in a book heavy period of time and loving it.)

With all this talk about books, I think that it might be time for another episode of "Our Library Bag"!

1.   I finished The Shadow Throne.  It's the third book in Jennifer A. Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy.  It's really good!  Having said that, it might be the most predictable and least exciting of the series making it the weakest of the trilogy.  I think The False Prince was the best, it just seemed the most clever.  By the third book the "twists" weren't surprises.  Definitely recommend this series and I'm very sad to say goodbye to these characters. (The Shadow Throne is free right now with an Audible trial.)

2. & 3. I really enjoyed Renegades.  Marissa Meyer just knows how to tell a story.  The pages flew by and I eagerly dug into the second book, Archenemies.  The conclusion to the trilogy, Supernova, doesn't come out until November and I can hardly wait!  At this point, I give these a qualified recommendation.  It's targeted to a YA audience, but some of the themes are a little more on the mature side.  The first two books read very much as "part 1" and "part 2" of a larger whole, so while I enjoyed reading both books, a part of me wishes I hadn't begun until all three were available.

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#books #whatimreading #marissameyer #archenemies #renegades #YA #summerreading #library

A post shared by Rachel Furlong (@philwife) on Jun 5, 2019 at 11:50am PDT

4. I checked out every single National Geographic Reader that is in our library system for the kids.  These readers are super simple, and vary in the quality of writing, but most have great pictures and some basic factoids.  My middle child loves the "Stump Your Parents" section.

5.  My daughter read Princess Academy and now I'm reading it.  This morning I set the kids up with play-doh and managed to read about 150 pages.  (Play-doh for the win!)  I discovered this positively delightful book via Read Aloud Revival's book list for girls 8-12.  I think both my daughter and I will devour the entirety of this list. 

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A post shared by Rachel Furlong (@philwife) on Jun 22, 2019 at 6:48am PDT

6.  Once I finish Princess Academy I am going to start The Accident.  I added this to my list courtesy of The Modern Mrs. Darcy.

7.  This one isn't a library book, but since it is currently the most read book in the house it deserves honorable mention: Barnyard Dance.  As far as toddler books that are read on repeat ad nauseam, it's rather enjoyable.  It has a pleasant rhythm and watching the various dancing antics of the toddler are pretty adorable.

That's all for now, everyone!  I'm going to go read. Do tell me about your summer reading plans and habits!  I'm really curious. 

I'm going to link this little blog post of mine around the blogosphere. Some places that I like to link include: 

This Ain't the Lyceum

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

My Library Bag #6

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We read.  We read a lot.  I haven't done one of these Our Library Bag posts in a while, but it is time for another! As of this moment I have 77 books, and one DVD, checked out on my library card.  Here's a sampling of what is in our bag this week!

100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson
This is one of current read alouds.  I'm not sure who's enjoying this book more, Catherine or me.  Mysterious.  Intriguing.  Engaging.  It's really well written and I'm absolutely loving it.

Since I am enjoying this book so much I decided that it would be the focus of my questions for the "What Are You Reading Wednesday" link up.

Why did you decide to pick up this book - cover or content?  Well, I'm going to be un-original here.  Remember last week, when I said I was reading The False Prince based on a Read Aloud Revival recommendation?  Well . . . this was another one of Sarah's picks.  I suppose that means content?

Who is your favorite character so far, and why?  I'm going for the obvious answer here, Henry.  At this point, it is his story and everyone else just isn't fleshed out enough.  (Uncle Frank gives me some pause though, he seems like he's a lot deeper than we might expect.  I'm really hoping to see that developed!)  However, Catherine says that Henrietta is her favorite because she's a girl and in on the action.

Will you finish this one?  Of course.  And judging from what we've read so far, we will also pick up the rest of the series.

Finish the sentence: This book reminds me of... Right now?  I am seeing echoes of Narnia: the mystery behind closed doors.

What type of read is this one? A great read aloud!

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Such a great read.  I really enjoyed this one.  I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! (This is the book I mentioned in WIPS: Yarn and Books.)  I have a feeling this series will get a blog post all of its own once I'm finished!

17th Suspect by James Patterson
Well, there's not much to say here.  It's the next book in a long line of unoriginal-just-barely-interesting enough crime mysteries.  But for some reason I keep picking them up.  I liken these books to the multitude of CSI: Name Your City available on TV these days: mildly entertaining and easily accessible.  There's also the fact that these are page turners.  I mean, quite literally, page turners.  With huge margins, extremely short chapters, and generous spacing there are barely any words on a page!

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (And Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham
What can I say?  I'm a Gilmore Girls fan.  Haven't finished it yet . . . however, thus far the overall feel of the book is exactly as it should be, or at least what I want as a GG fan girl.  It just feels like Lorelai.

The Ultimate Dick and Jane Storybook Collection
Dominic has enthusiastically been reading this book aloud to anyone who will listen for the past week or two.  He has read every page on his own.  I'm so proud of him!

General Relativity for Babies (etc.) by Chris Ferrie
When I stumbled across the books, not just this one, but ALL of them, quite by accident, at the library I was super excited.  I don't generally borrow board books from the library but these quickly made their way into my bag.  (Although, they seem brand new, we might be the first people to check them out.) In a nutshell, they are totally awesome.  I highly recommend them!

Lea Dives In by Lisa Yee
Catherine wanted to include this book as a notable read for this week.  She really enjoyed it.  I knew she did, since it was started and finished in less than 24 hours.

Mr. Popper's Penguins Richard Atwater
Technically, this isn't a library bag book.  I picked this up (for FREE!) from a homeschool curriculum swap.  It's a hilarious classic and I'm happy to add it to our shelves.  And again, Catherine devoured it.  I loved that she would read the amusing bits aloud to the family.

I think that's enough for now!  I hope that you find some time to cuddle up with a good book this week!

Our Library Bag #5

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This is the catch up Our Library Bag post.  We've read a lot since the last post; here are some books from the past six months or so:

For the kids:

ABC Animals is the new Freight Train for Dominic.  This means that we read this book approximately 27 million times a day when it was checked out.

The Book With No Pictures made my "big" kids laugh hysterically.  I think this will be one of those books that you either love or hate, so just be warned.  (Did you see that this book was written by B.J. Novak?  I've actually met him in real life!)

The Magic Tree House books are immensely popular with my seven year old.  I think she's read about thirty-five of them so far.


For me:

Mortal Engines  "It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea."
That's the first sentence of the book.  Quite a fascinating visual image, isn't it?  A city, quite literally, chasing another city?  This is a fairly quick read, and it was enjoyable.  I haven't decided if I will read the rest of the Predator Cities Series, but I have added them to my list, just in case.  

Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle)  Once I started this book I couldn't put it down.  There's just something about this series that draws me in.  It's a bit grittier than a lot of the other YA that I read.  It does read as a "middle" book -- it's neither the beginning nor the end of the tale.

Maybe in Another Life Have you heard of Modern Mrs Darcy?  It's fast becoming one of my favorite blogs.  This was one of her "Unputdownable: 17 books I read in 24 hours or less (because they were just that good)" picks.  I totally understand why it made the list.

The Blue Castle L.M. Montgomery wrote more than just Anne of Green Gables.  This is just such a sweet little romance.  I laughed.  I cried.  I loved it.  (I might have been a tad hormonal since I read it while pregnant.)

I'm going to stop there for today!  It's my hope that this will be a weekly post . . . but we'll have to see how things go!

Our Library Bag #3

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Too Many Pumpkins was yet another enjoyable book I added to the library list based on Sarah's October Picture Book List.  I've been trying to get my hands on lots of fall picture books for the kids.  Living in Florida is awesome (swimming in October!) but I do miss the traditional fall details -- changing leaves, sweaters, boots, jeans, and the like.

It's a classic.  The illustrations and the story are sweet.  Dominic, appropriately, calls it the "blue book".

We haven't read Scrambled States of America just yet,  It came highly recommended by another homeschool family, so I'm going in with great expectations.  We shall see!

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World was such a fun read that we had to get How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA.  

Yes, I borrow books from the juvenile section for myself.  I am loving The Mysterious Benedict Society.  Quirky?  Check.  Odd secrets and a sense of mystery?  Check.  

I've also picked up my first Stephen King book.  My husband really enjoys much of King's writing and I asked him to pick one for me.  He gave me a variety of choices but I think I will start with Hearts in Atlantis.  

I currently have 44 items checked out on my card, with 12 books waiting for pick up tomorrow!  What's in your library bag this week?