“For the sake of trust building, the third chapter will follow the second. But then we will jump directly to chapter five, do you understand? No chapter four. Why? Because sometimes things don’t go like they should.” ― Allie Brosh, Solutions and Other Problems
Title: Solutions and Other Problems
Author; Allie Brosh
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Goodreads Synopsis:
Allie Brosh returns with a new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays.
Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.
My Thoughts:
This is a different pick for me. Most of my picks are novels or traditional memoirs. But, this was a fun read that dealt with heavy topics. The format made it a really quick read. I would recommend it for anyone who likes Jenny Lawson’s writng.
“To ask why was only to demand justification. To ask why not assumed endless possibility…” ― Stephanie Dray, The Women of Chateau Lafayette
Title: The Women of Chateau Lafayette
Author: Stephanie Dray
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 31, 2021
Goodreads Synopsis:
Most castles are protected by men. This one by women.
A founding mother… 1774 . Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband, the Marquis de Lafayette’s political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
A daring visionary… 1914 . Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing—not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France firsthand, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a convincing America to fight for what’s right.
A reluctant resistor… 1940 . French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan’s self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become.
Intricately woven and powerfully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we take from those who came before us.
My thoughts:
I love books with interwoven stories, but usually one is not as interesting. In the beginning, I was primarily interested in the story of Adrienne, wife of the the Marquis de Lafayette. But, as the story progressed, I found Beatrice and Marthe’s stories more fascinating. It’s a beautiful story of the strength of women and the power of their contributions throughout history.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Description:
Inspired by a quote from the late, great children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown, this poem honors and celebrates the beauty of being your authentic self. Soothing rhymes and soft illustrations convey the peace of being alone with your thoughts.
This is a gentle introduction to the concept of being an introvert, as well as an invitation for child and grown-up readers alike to observe and imagine their inner world and the world around them. What can you hear when you stay quiet as mud?
My Thoughts
You can never fail with a Jane Yolen book. This book is a beautiful celebration of introversion. There are so many books about a being bold, it’s breath of fresh air to show kids the beauty of quiet introspection. The poem and illustrations are gorgeous.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Description
Pippi is the fastest penguin in her colony. She also knows where to find the best food, even when other penguins struggle to find any. Pippi keeps the food to herself so she can feed her chick, Ella. But when Ella goes missing, Pippi needs the help of her colony to find her chick. Pippi learns about the importance of community and teamwork, and changes her tune when it comes to sharing. This colorful book will both teach readers about life as a penguin and impart important life lessons about sharing and teamwork.
My Thoughts
If you know me, you know I love penguins. So, I have a weakness for any book about penguins. The illustrations in this book are realistic, but also show animation and clear expressions in the penguin characters. Pipi knows a sectet place for finding krill, but doesn’t want to share. But, of course, by the end of the book she learns the importance of sharing and helping out your community. I thought it was interesting that the parent was the greedy character in this book. It shows that we can all change and learn new lessons, no matter how old.
“when we’re low, it can be easy to see everything through a prism of negativity. Human beings are remarkably bad at understanding other people’s motivations, even when they know them terribly well. We write all sorts of inaccurate stories in our heads.”
Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope–she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.
That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag–she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.
My Thoughts:
In typical Jojo Moyes fashion, Someone Else’s Shoes deals with serious issues while making you laugh. Nisha and Sam couldn’t be more different. But, getting a taste of each other’s words makes them reevaluate their own. A wonderful celebration of the power of female friendship.
I had issues posting back in February, so I missed my favorite book of the month and new releases for March posts, then I just didn’t get back to it. So, I thought I would just do a combined, abbreviated post.
Favorite Read of February 2024
This novel tells the true story of a boat carrying children evacuated from Europe during WWII, that was hit by a torpedo. One lifeboat is left stranded in the ocean for days. The story follows the events on the lifeboat and the family members left behind who are fighting to continue the search. This is why I keep going back to WWII novels, there are so many different angles and stories that there’s always something new to learn.
Thank you to netgalley for giving me an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
Title: How to Train Your Amygdala
Author: Anna Housley Juster
Illustrator: Cynthia Cliff
Publisher: Teacher Created Materials, Free Spirit Publishing
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Description
The amygdala is the brain’s alarm system that alerts for danger, but sometimes it gets things wrong and needs help calming down. In this picture book, young readers receive kid-friendly information about the amygdala from the amygdala, how it can sometimes get confused, and simple ideas to calm and train it.
Thank you to netgalley for giving me an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
Title: How to Train Your Amygdala
Author: Anna Housley Juster
Illustrator: Cynthia Cliff
Publisher: Teacher Created Materials, Free Spirit Publishing
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Description
The amygdala is the brain’s alarm system that alerts for danger, but sometimes it gets things wrong and needs help calming down. In this picture book, young readers receive kid-friendly information about the amygdala from the amygdala, how it can sometimes get confused, and simple ideas to calm and train it.
The amygdala in How to Train Your Amygdala makes complicated concepts accessible to children so they can understand their bodies, practice impulse control, and boost their self-regulation. “You have probably never seen me before, but I am right here in your brain. There is an amygdala in everyone’s brain. It’s true! All humans have one. Many other animals do too.”
Throughout the book, the amygdala and the reader practice anxiety-calming and mindfulness strategies such as deep breathing, visualization, and progressive relaxation. With anxiety on the rise among children, learning how to calm the amygdala is a critical life skill.
Additional content at the back of the book includes an amygdala’s training playbook for kids and more information for adults to help reinforce the book’s message.
My Thoughts
I was never taught specifics of how the brain works until college. I’ve since had a lot of training to understand how kids’ minds work and ways to help them deal with emotions. But, I’ve never seen it explained in such a kid-friendly way. Even though this is some high level science, even a young kid can understand. I think it’s very empowering for kids to understand reactions in their brain are causing their emotions, but there are things they can do to help control it.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Professor Goose Debunks The Three Little Pigs
Author: Paulette Bourgeois
Illistrator: Alex G. Griffiths
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada: Tundra Books
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Description:
Mother Goose’s fairy tales are NOT based in science, and her great niece Professor Goose thinks it’s time to share the truth. Join Professor Goose as she — literally — travels through the pages of The Three Little Pigs, fact-checking, exposing the flaws and explaining the science. Did you know that pigs run in a zigzag pattern? And that there’s no way a wolf’s breath would be strong enough to blow down anything, even if he has his whole pack with him? And that hay bales are strong enough to resist most up, down and sideways forces? Sounds like the perfect material for building a house! . . . Or, not. But not to worry — Professor Goose is armed with helpful hints on how to make a structure strong enough to withstand hurricane forces!
Jammed with jokes and hilarious illustrations, this book entertains while it introduces basic scientific laws and rules to young readers. At the back of the book, readers will find Professor Goose’s nM
My Thoughts:
I loved this book! I was drawn to it initially because of the fractured fairy tale element. This twist weaves another level of STEM knowledge to the story. It’s filled with all sorts of facts ranging from silly facts like “only humans have chins” to an explanation of coding. Kids will be so busy laughing over Professor Goose’s silly antics that they won’t even realize they’re learning.
“Humanity is awful, angry, and violent. But we are also magical and musical. We dance. We sing. We create. We live and laugh and rage and cry and despair and hope. We are a bundle of contradictions without rhyme or reason. And there is no one like us in all the universe.” ― T.J. Klune, In the .
My reading for 2024 has started off with a bang. I read a variety of genres, so it was difficult to compare. I Untimately, TJ KLune’s writing style puts him above the rest.
Book facts:
Title: In the Lives of Puppets
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 25, 2024
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots–fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
My Thoughts:
I held off on reading this for a while because I had seen a negative review. But, I realized within the first chapter, that Klune could write anything and I would love it. His writing style just speaks to me. I love the way he casually weaves humor into his stories and uses dialog to develop his characters. The bantor between Rambo (a needy vacuum) and Nurse Ratched (a psychotic health monitoring machine) was some of the best I’ve ever read.
At the end of the novel there was a note from Klune alluding to the fact that the novel was not what he had intended to right. As I looked into this I discovered that he had originally written Vic as autistic, but there was dispute among sensitivity readers, and it was ultimately changed. Obviously, I haven’t read the original version (which I’m sure was wonderful, because everything he writes is) I think it works better this way. Vic is the only human amongst robots, so I think it makes more sense to show characteristics, and let the reader draw their own conclusions.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC ebook of Agnes and the Hen in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Agnes and the Hen
Author; Elle Rowley
Illustrator: Clare Theresen Gray
Publisher: DK Children
Publication Date: January 25, 2023
Description:
This lighthearted story tells the tale of Agnes the Great Dane and Rosie the hen with an important underlying message. With Agne’s help, Rosie discovers that staying true to herself might just be her greatest strength.
Agnes and the Hen is an engaging tale for 3-5 year-olds, teaching an important message about how you can avoid following the crowd and embrace your true self. Children will have fun engaging in the bright and beautiful pages of this picture book and following story alongside vibrant illustrations of farm animals.
My Thoughts:
I love the classic feel of these illustrations. It reminded me of the books I read as a child. There are so many stories about being true to yourself that this didn’t feel original to me. The main character, in this case a hen, is treated badly because they don’t act like the others, then they save the day and everyone loves them.That being said, there’s a reason there are so many stories like this. The message of acceptance and being true to yourself can’t be said enough. Kids will love Agnes’s silly dancing and how the hens scared away the foxes.
