High Shelf Esteem

Archives for June 2018

Literary Linking: June 18 – 22

This week’s link topics include: the biggest book cover trend of the year, books for summer reading, the forgotten history of Anne of Green Gables, and more!

My favorite bookish links the week of June 18 – 22:

Inside One of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
Holy cats — this library is visually stunning! The designer specifically said he wanted to create a library that is “no longer a dull and depressing environment.” What kind of libraries had he been going to???

Is This the Biggest Book Cover Trend of the Year?
Be warned: now you won’t stop seeing this trend!

Librarian Nancy Pearl Picks 7 Books for Summer Reading
Nancy Pearl is my idol. I hope to be just like her someday!

Carnegie Medal Winner Slams Children’s Book Publishers for “Accessible” Prose
Geraldine McCaughrean makes a very interesting point: by dumbing down language in children’s books, our young readers will grow up lacking the words to think for themselves.
I’m going to take it upon myself to use more complex vocab at my next storytime… The diminutive arachnid scaled the water spout 🙂

The Forgotten History of Anne of Green Gables
I would have liked to be bosom friends and drink raspberry cordial with Lucy Maud Montgomery. At least we have her books to enjoy forever and ever.

What I’ve Been Reading: June 2018

Welcome to Quick Lit, where bloggers link up with Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy and share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately.

June has been a great month of reading! There’s only one book (which I will not name) that disappointed me. Let’s hope the rest of the summer is just as good.

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Emergency Contact, by Mary H. K. Choi
Penny Lee, a socially-awkward freshman at UT Austin pursuing dreams of becoming a writer, and Sam, a college drop-out with an alcoholic mother, toxic ex-girlfriend, and desire to be a documentarian, meet under less-than-ideal circumstances. (One of them has passed out in public :p) Despite barely knowing each other, they become the other’s emergency contact in their phones. From there, a friendship (and more?) begin to bloom through the extensive text messaging.

Going into this book, I was worried that the texting aspect of the story would be gimmicky. Thankfully, Choi integrated the texting into the rest of the story quite seamlessly. It was incredibly interesting to see how Penny and Sam got to know each other so intimately using this platform and having very little real-life contact. They were able to say things to each other through text that they normally would never have shared.

Calypso, by David Sedaris
All I can say is: READ THIS BOOK! I loved the crap out of it. In Calypso, Sedaris tackles issues like death, aging (of both himself and his family), but is able to perfectly pair heartbreak with hilarity. From tales of feeding a tumor to a snapping turtle to his FitBit obsession, David Sedaris makes me love him more and more with each book he writes.

 

 

Death by Dumpling, by Vivien Chien
After a disastrous break-up and losing her job, Lana Lee is back in her hometown of Cleveland waiting tables at her parents’ Chinese restaurant, Ho-Lee. Her personal drama takes a backseat when the property manager of the restaurant’s shopping center dies from an allergic reaction to eating shrimp-laced dumplings delivered by Lana from Ho-Lee. Everyone in the restaurant is now a murder suspect, and Lana takes it upon herself to do some sleuthing of her own.

I will definitely be reading more of this new cozy mystery series. Chien created an engaging mystery (I didn’t figure it out before the big reveal) with realistic cultural touches, a little romance, and more laughs than I expected. It also made me really hungry for dumplings!

Goldie Vance Vol. 1, by Hope Larson
Think Nancy Drew, but way cooler. Goldie Vance loves racing cars and solving mysteries at the Florida resort her dad manages. When a necklace goes missing, she’s on the case and isn’t afraid to take risks to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This graphic novel is incredibly fun and the art is fantastic. The diverse cast of characters and female-centered romance are cherries on top.

 

 

What have you read and enjoyed this month? Please share in the comments below!

Literary Linking: June 11 – 15

This week’s link topics include: Anne of Green Gables fan fiction, how to read more, non-cookbook food books to read this summer, and more!

My favorite bookish links the week of June 11 – 15:

Increase Your Cognitive Ability by Readina F—ing Book For Once
Since you’re reading my blog, this video from The Onion probably does not apply to you, but I’m sure it’ll make you giggle. Be warned: there is A LOT of cursing.

20 Anne of Green Gables Fan Fiction Stories for Your Avonlea Fix
These stories range from diary-format to Gilbert as narrator to “mature” (eek!). Read if you dare 🙂

“Younger” Is “Gossip Girl” for the Publishing Industry
I’ve written about my love of the show Younger before and I’m so excited that a book in the show, “Marriage Vacation,” has been published in real life!

What Happened When I (Tried To) Read 30 Books in 30 Days
Some solid advice on how to read more

8 Non-Cookbook Food Books To Read This Summer
If food and books are two of your favorite things, this list is right up your alley.

Great Summer Reads for Kids of All Ages!

I make lists constantly. Most of my them are to-do lists, and while they may be important for my sanity, I wouldn’t say I love writing them. Writing book lists, however, is a totally different story. Summer reading lists for young readers are a personal favorite.

Creating recommended summer reading lists for my students was one of my favorite parts of being school librarian. And even though I took a public library job few months ago, I promised my students I would still pull together lists of the best new books to read this summer. I am happy to say I delivered on my promise!

I’m so jazzed about the lists that I’d like to share them with you too. I doubt any of you, dear readers of my blog, are in PK – 8th grade (let me know if you are!), but I think these lists will still be useful to you.

If you’re sick of reading your kids the same old picture books, give the books on the PK – rising 1st grader list a try. If your 8-year-old nephew has a birthday coming up, the rising 2nd – 3rd list will give you some great gift ideas. If you want to read some of the hottest books for young teens, take a look at the Young Adult titles.

I hope you and the kids in your life enjoy these books as much as I did!

Great Summer Reads 2018:

PK – Rising 1st Grade

Rising 2nd – 3rd Grade

Rising 4th – 5th Grade

Young Adult (Rising 6th – 9th Grade)

What other children’s/YA books would you recommend for summer reading? Please share in the comments below!

Literary Linking: May 28 – June 1

This week’s link topics include: secret codes for book reviews, an ultimate book list for summer, the last Penderwicks book, and more!

My favorite bookish links the week of May 28 – June 1:

The Ultimate Summer Books Preview
Use “critical consensus” to decide which new books to read this summer. This is a list of books recommended most often in 28 different summer preview lists (from sources like Goodreads, The New York Times, etc.). I can only think that these titles have a good chance of being satisfying reads if they’re been recommended so many times!

Why Are Middle-Aged Women Invisible on Book Covers?
Good question! I can’t think of any books with middle-aged women on them. Can you?

This Woman Made a Secret Code To Review Every Book She Read, And It’s Genius
Her code is hilarious! I may have to steal “RP – Readable Banality.”

“By 35”: Bookish Edition
I turn 35 this year, so this list of bookish things I should have completed is especially pertinent. The one that resonates most is this: “By age 35, you should have at least one panic attack when you do the math and realize just how many books you’re going to miss.”
Honestly, I have this panic attack pretty much every day :p

The Final MOPS: Jeanne Birdsall on Saying Goodbye To the Penderwicks
The Penderwicks has been such a great series (the first is one of my favorites to read aloud) and Jeanne Birdsall seems like such a cool lady. If you haven’t picked this series up, I strongly suggest you do – you will fall in love all the members of the Penderwick family. And let’s hope Jeanne keeps on writing.