Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. / Judy Blume

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
By: Judy Blume
Genre: Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 192
Published: April 20, 2014 (1st Published January 1, 1970)
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Dates Read: August 5, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Margaret has no religion, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a close relationship with God. It’s not until she moves from New York to New Jersey and begins hanging out with new friends does she realize it’s probably weird that she talks with God the way that she does. So, for a school assignment, Margaret sets out to do an experiment on religion and what that means for her.

So, I’m going to blame the fact that I didn’t read this novel until my 30’s because I was at such a high reading level as a kid, I basically skipped reading middle grade books for the most part and went directly to Young Adult. I totally should have read this as a kid because a lot of the novel is something nearly every young girl can relate to (minus maybe the religious parts of it).

It brought back a lot of memories as a young girl growing up. Exceptions for me: I didn’t want to wear a bra and fought my mom and older sister about it until I basically had to. And, when I got my first period, it was at the public library’s restroom, I shouted to my friend in the next stall I started, to which she replied, “Can I see?!” before I told her “NO!” and to “Go get my Mom!”

This book also talks about a young girl’s relationship with religion and how that affects her. Her parents are trying their hardest to raise her as nonreligious, so that she can choose a religion when she’s older. But, all of Margaret’s friends have some relationship with God, through Christianity or Judaism, and she feels almost like she’s left out.

Even though this book was written and set in the 1970’s it still applies to everyday pressures young girls still face. Margaret is trying to figure things out for herself but runs into a lot of misinformation or more of people’s opinions rather than facts. I remember a lot being a problem growing up.

Overall, I wish I knew of this book growing up. I think it would have helped me feel seen and know the fact that almost every preteen/sixth grader probably went through a version of the exact same thing.

Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day / Kaitlin B. Curtice

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Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day
By: Kaitlin B. Curtice
Genre: Nonfiction, Self Help
Number of Pages: 208
Published: March 7, 2023
Publisher: Brazos Press
Dates Read: August 2, 2023 - August 5, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Living Resistance is about resistance and how you can use it in everyday life and not just at protests or boycotting things. Kaitlin B. Curtice looks at resistance in different realms: the personal, the communal, the ancestral, and the integral. She explains each realm at the beginning of each section to help the reader understand it more thoroughly. 

I was kind of excited about this book. I’ve been trying to get into reading more nonfiction and I thought this would be one I would enjoy. Maybe it just wasn’t really for me.

I felt like it was a bit repetitive, which makes sense because it’s about life and life is messy and isn’t always straight forward, but when I’m reading a different story with the same message at the end, it gets a bit boring.

It was also a bit more religious than what I was looking for, not so much spiritual.

I feel like a lot of people will be able to take from this, but it just didn’t speak to me as I would hope it would.

I will say, it did make me think about how I want to look to my descendants as their ancestor and what I would want to leave behind for them.

*Thank you Brazos Press and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Stoked for This: August 2023

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August has SO MANY BOOKS coming out that I’m Stoked for! SEVENTEEN!!

No crazy “theme” this month, though a few of them are being published this month, I know I probably won’t be in the right mood for them until later in the year. But, we shall see! I’ve got quite a list, so here we go 🙂

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2023

Family Lore

by: Elizabeth Acevedo

Why am I stoked for this release?

Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my all time favorite YA, Novel in Verse authors. She’s also written a few prose pieces, but her Novel in Verse are my favs. She’s one of the few authors I know I will enjoy her books as soon as I find out there’s a new release. This will be her first Adult fiction about a Dominican-American family told through the voices of its women (which, we all know is going to be good).

The Connellys of County Down

by: Tracey Lange

Why am I stoked for this release?

As I love me a family dynamics novel.

Tara is coming out of prison after serving a 18-month drug charge and trying to restart her life at 30 is hard, so she moves in with her siblings. Her brother, a single dad, is struggling with a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister is cracking under the weight of huge secrets.

Again, family dynamic novels just hit different for me and the drama that’s probably in this will keep me turning the pages.

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls

by: Kai Cheng Thom

Why am I stoked for this release?

Sometimes I just want a book with letters/poems/ and essays.

This is written by an Asian Canadian trans femme author during the pandemic when the world was blasting hate and violence full force. This is written during a painful time of the author’s life, so it’s bound to be filled with raw emotions.

The Museum of Human History

by: Rebekah Bergman

Why am I stoked for this release?

I like time morphing novels – rather that’s time travel, alternate histories, future fantasy – I think it’s fun.

This one is about a little girl who, while in a coma after nearly drowning, has stopped aging. While Maeve is in her coma, the adults around her struggle to figure out how and why she’s no longer aging, and their experiments never turn out correctly.

RELEASE DATE: August 8, 2023

A Council of Dolls

by: Mona Susan Power

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m always interested in Indigenous Voices and this one is spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day. This is also to shine a light on the generational trauma brought on by Indian boarding schools and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. There’s also rumored to have stunning prose, and I’m always down for that!

Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

by: James McBride

Why am I stoked for this release?

This historical novel set in the 1930’s is about the community of Chicken Hill in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, filled mostly with African Americans and Jews.

At one point, the community conspire together to keep a young deaf black boy out of the state’s notorious mental hospital.

This book is supposed to be about the relationships that molded this community together and I always love those stories.

Tomb Sweeping

by: Alexandra Chang

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a short story collection about histories, technologies, and generational divides that shape our relationships.

Again, sometimes I like having a short story collection for a quick(er) read here and there.

RELEASE DATE: August 15, 2023

The Invisible Hour

by: Alice Hoffman

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a novel about the power of books. So yea, I’m stoked for this.

This is also about Mia and her life inside the Community – an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts. Contact with the outside world is forbidden and book are evil, but when Mia gets her hands on a copy of The Scarlet Letter, it perfectly captures the pain and loss she’s feeling inside her.

Books allow others to feel seen; and this one is going to be one of them.

Fever House

by: Keith Rosson

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is marketed as being “horror, crime, and raw” – mixed with gangsters, black ops government agencies, a punk band, a severed hand, a detached eyeball?

This novel is bound to have it all.

I may not get around to this until it is a lot closer to Halloween, but who knows, there’s a lot happening in this book that seems like it will be a trip.

The Witch is Back

by: Sophie H. Morgan

Why am I stoked for this release?

Rarely.

Very rarely – do I get excited for romance books. But this is a witchy, childhood romance/second chance novel that I can see myself enjoy once I can get around to it.

LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO

by: Cleo Qian

Why am I stoked for this release?

A collection of stories centered around the experience of Asian and Asian American women.

Based of those who have read and reviewed it already, the stories seem to be page turners!

Bride of the Tornado

by: James Kennedy

Why am I stoked for this release?

Okay, listen; I know this one is way out in left field for what I usually read – a secretive midwestern town engulfed by a mysterious plague of tornadoes every generation where the teen girl must now find a way to escape from.

But like, I grew up apart of Tornado Alley. My family was the only family within our immediate group of family and friends who had a basement. Everyone would come over when the tornado sirens went off. I always kind of looked forward to storms because of this. Even now, I love storm watching.

This just changes it up for me and I even went so far as requesting an ARC of it to read.

RELEASE DATE: August 29, 2023

Vampires of El Norte

by: Isabel Cañas

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a historical horror about vampires and vaqueros (cowboys) facing off on the Texas/Mexico border. What is there NOT to like about this?

I’m not a crazy reader of horror, but I’ve always found myself in the mood when it gets cooler outside. So, though I may not get to reading this quite this month, I’m definitely reading it come spooky season!

A Multitude of Dreams

by: Mara Rutherford

Why am I stoked for this release?

Two reasons.

One: I read The Poison Season last year and absolutely LOVED it – so I’ve been pretty stoked about her next title.

Two. This is a gothic fantasy YA (with vampires?).

Yes please!!

Everything/Nothing/Someone: A Memoir

by: Alice Carrière

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a coming-of-age memoir of Alice Carrière in the 90’s as her adolescence gives way to a struggle with dissociative disorder.

I’m a ’92 baby, so some of my childhood was the 90’s (though most of my memories were early 2000s) and revisiting that era would be fun.

But, I also love the way mental health is talked about more and more nowadays. It was still kind of taboo while I was growing up. Anytime I can read about others’ stories with their mental health journey, I do try to read it.

My Father, the Panda Killer

by: Jamie Jo Hoang

Why am I stoked for this release?

I saw this on NetGalley and immediately asked to read it. This is a YA, told in alternating voices of Jane in 1999 San Jose, and her father as an eleven-year-old in 1975 Đà Nẵng.

The Vietnam War is another part of history I’m taking time to read about. I have an uncle who fought over, and I know I can’t even imagine the horrors that war caused.

This book is unflinching in its tale about war and the generational impact it has.

After You Vanished

by: E.A. Neeves

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is said to be Sadie meets We Were Liars. Both are amazing books, but Sadie is a title I’m constantly giving recommendations out for while doing Shelf Helps at work.

This title is told through Teddy’s POV to her missing twin sister, Izzy as she tries to piece together what could have happened to Izzy after she vanished from a midnight swim last year.

Moving Through Walls / Ryan Wolf

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Moving Through Walls
By: Ryan Wolf
Genre: Middle Grade, HiLo, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 160
Published: August 16, 2023
Publisher: West 44 Books
Dates Read: July 29, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

After getting kicked from a lunch table at his new school Dennis ends up sitting at the Deadliest Poets Society’s table. There he meets a new group of friends who tell him all about talking with ghosts through knocking. But, instead of finding ghosts, Dennis finds the sludge, and it’s much worse.

This book really reminded me of Goosebumps, but simpler – which makes sense since it’s a HiLo, Novel in Verse, and for Middle Grade. Because of that, this was a super quick read for me.

I feel like younger kids will really enjoy this book – especially those who may be new(er) to the middle grade reading level. The story itself is pretty descriptive and really allows you to walk through the halls as Dennis. This is perfect for 11-13-year-olds who are seeking a bit of a paranormal mystery.

*Thank you West 44 Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent / Ann Jacobus

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The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent
By: Ann Jacobus
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 352
Published: March 7, 2023
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Dates Read: July 26, 2023 - July 29, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of suicide, mental health, alcoholism, hospice, end of life, death

Eighteen-year-old Del is now sober, her depression and anxiety are being treated, she’s volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline, and she’s living with her amazing Aunt Fran. Her own suicide attempt last year is in the past.

But, when Aunt Fran is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Del’s world is flipped upside down. She’s spent all her time now saving people, but she can’t save Fran – only help her prepare for what’s coming. On top of that, she’s got a crush on a boy she’s known since childhood, her first semester of college is quickly approaching, and she still has shifts at the crisis line. When Aunt Fran asks for Del’s help with her final request, Del must face her demons head on and rethink life and death.

Everyone handles grief differently. The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent talks about Del’s. It was a bit nice to see Del’s outlook on a lot of things, especially when it came to her talking about her suicide attempt and where’s she’s at mentally now. Is she a little callous when she views what happened to her and where she is now? A bit – but I’m also thinking that the mindset of her generation is a lot different than older ones. Shoot, I’m a millennial and our humor and mind set is dark, yet alone Gen Z’s.

I believe this is a good book for teens about both mental health and grief. Throughout this novel, I would remember my aunt passing away from breast cancer and the hospice she received at the later end of her time here on Earth. This also talks heavily about <spoiler> assistant suicide / death with dignity </spoiler>.

Overall, this is a heavy book, but one that will let others feel seen, especially during a time where they may have a loved one dying.

*Thank you Carolrhoda Lab and LibraryThing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Pebbles and the Biggest Number / Joey Benun, Laura Watson (Illustrator)

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Pebbles and the Biggest Number
By: Joey Benun, Laura Watson (Illustrator)
Genre: Children's, Science
Number of Pages: 48
Published: July 1, 2023
Publisher: Joey Benun / Self Published
Dates Read: July 21, 2023
Format: eBook

Pebbles the Butterfly loves to count. One day, he sets out to travel around the world to find the biggest number. On his travels, he meets tons of friends, and experiences all kinds of crazy weather. What’s the biggest number Pebbles can find?

This is such a wonderful children’s book about the fun and excitement of numbers. As a kid (and still as an adult honestly), I love learning random facts and this book is full of them as we follow along with Pebbles’ travels, including Number Note, where you see how many zeros are in a number, Did You Know?, where there’s fun facts about something on the current page(s), and Science Spots, with interesting science facts.

I can see a wide range of children enjoying this book due to the amazing and bright illustrations done by Laura Watson. I can see the ones reading the book to the children would also have a fun time reading because of all the little facts and tidbits within the story. There’s even a spot where it prompts the child to ask an adult what the biggest number they know is.

This is cute and adorable and I can’t wait to share the fun facts that I learn from it.

*Thank you Joey Benun for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Northranger / Rey Teriero, Bre Indigo (Illustrator)

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Northranger
By: Rey Teriero, Bre Indigo (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 240
Published: June 6, 2023
Publisher: HarperAlley
Dates Read: July 17, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: (via an author’s note at the beginning of the novel) Moments of homophobia, misogyny, racism, domestic violence, animal cruelty, and confronting death

Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz has always loved the escapism of a good horror movie. Even though they’re scary, nothing is scarier than real life for the closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas.

When Cade gets sent to work his summer away with his step dad on his old army buddy’s ranch, he hates everything about it; the early mornings, the mountains of horse poop he has to shovel, the endless list of chores… But there are some things he does like – the company of the two teens who live there, especially the handsome Henry.

But, things are complicated. They’re in rural Texas after all. But Henry also won’t share about his mother’s death, and Henry’s father and him have had hushed, angry arguments Cade has overheard. Cade begins to wonder what secrets the family is hiding.

This is a beautifully illustrated and written romance about first love, grief, mental health, self acceptance, and the experience of being gay in rural, religious towns.

At first I was a little weary of the color pallet of being brown/maroon but it works well for this novel. It doesn’t take away from the story at all and it kind of helps set the mood of being out on a ranch. Also – the art is beautiful and I loved it!

I can see those who love the Heartstopper series also enjoying this book; Cade and Henry can totally give off Nick and Charlie vibes for sure… especially the hopeless romantic facial expressions of Cade. I shall indeed be recommending this book to any YA graphic novel, queer romance lovers.

Global / Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)

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Global
By: Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 144
Published: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Dates Read: July 16, 2023 - July 17, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Global is a YA graphic novel about two young children as they face the effects of climate change in what could possibly be the near future.

Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the Indian Ocean. They earn their living by fishing but they’re having to go further and further out to sea – something dangerous while in their tiny boat.

Yuki lives in the far north of Canada where rising temperatures are melting the snow and ice around her. Polar bears have less food they’re able to hunt and therefore are wandering into town to look for something to eat. There may even be a new species of bear – the grolar, a crossbreed between brown bears and polars bears. Yuki, alongside her dog, Lockjaw are determined to save them.

The novel alternates between the two children as we follow their struggle with climate change.

I’m a sucker for animal companions, so I was immediately drawn to Locky and Yuki’s story (Lockjaw).

I loved the art in this. It was bright and colorful – even in the middle of rain storms.

The adventures the kids have are a bit unrealistic, but it is a Middle Grade story that has important information in it; both within the story and information at the back of the novel. The younger generation are unfortunately the ones who have to really live with and deal with the impacts of global warming the most and this book really hits on the fact that younger kids can still be impactful.

Overall, I’d recommend this to middle grade, YA, and adult readers alike. This is an action packed, beautifully drawn graphic novel about the effects of climate change that I feel all could benefit from.

83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary / Don Brown

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83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary
By: Don Brown
Genre: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction, YA
Number of Pages: 128
Published: May 16, 2023
Publisher: Clarion Books
Dates Read: July 16, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is a young adult graphic novel about the war in Ukraine, especially focusing on the siege of Mariupol between February 2022 – May 2022. 

I’ve been trying to make sure to read books I find about the war in Ukraine. It’s not something that I keep up on within the news daily (truth be told, I try to stay away from the daily news in general), but I don’t want it to be something where I find out years and years later what happened or what it was like.

At first I was a little put off by the art style. I like my graphic novel reads to be full of color and usually bright palettes. But, the pen and ink art in this novel goes amazing with the setting of urgency, the brutalities and horrors of war, and the human spirit during such cases.

This is an important read, especially to the Young Adult audience it is aimed at as it gives a lot of information that, alongside the illustrations and art, can be used as a valuable resource to tell those about the war in Ukraine in a way that is more visual and memorable.

A Guide to the Dark / Meriam Metoui

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A Guide to the Dark
By: Meriam Metoui
Genre: YA, Horror
Number of Pages: 368
Published: July 18, 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Dates Read: July 9, 2023 - July 15, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warning: Mentions of death and suicide, drowning, grief

While touring colleges around the east coast and the midwest during their spring break, best friends Mira and Layla get stranded at the Wildwood Motel in Indiana after their car breaks down in a rainstorm. But something is off about their Room 9 assignment. Mira begins having haunting nightmares and visions of her dead brother, but Layla doesn’t see anything. Sure, the place is a little run down, but it’s got that small town feel Layla can’t wait to capture on her camera.

When they learn that eight people have died in that exact same room, they realize there must be something sinister going on – they just need to find the connection before Mira becomes the next.

This was a page turner for me that though I kind of knew what was happening, it was intriguing to watch the characters connect the dots. I seemed to only be a few pages ahead of them when it came to that, so it was fun to see that I was almost always on the right path. I also enjoyed the deeper dive into grief and how everyone handles it differently. 

I loved the pictures included in the novel, especially when I would find something in them. My only problem was, and it may have been just because I was reading a digital ARC and it wasn’t formatted correctly, was that sometimes the photos that would be mentioned or talked about you wouldn’t have access to until a few pages later. Wasn’t a big deal, but it would have been nice to have the comparison within a page flip.

It was also nice to read about two Arabic Muslim teenage girls as the main characters. They talk about their different dialects, the differences between their parents, how they both practice their religion, and even the differences between the Arabic pronunciation of their name versus the English pronunciation.

Overall, this is a fun, keep me near the edge of my seat, YA horror read. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone who loves YA horror, as well as those who want a bit of a spooky read some closer to Halloween.

*Thank you Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review