24 April 2017

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Spring Reading

Spring has definitely sprung in central Pennsylvania! Thanks to a changing climate, everything is blooming at the same moment: forsythia, tulips, forget-me-nots, lilacs, maple trees, serviceberry, fruit trees -- you name it, it's in flower. While it makes for a lovely yard, my eyes are itching, and I've been sneezing. Ugh.

In better news, We've been getting the deck set up, where we spend the bulk of our time in the summer, although I'm waiting a couple more weeks before buying plants for sprucing up the outdoor space. Nothing better than catching a few minutes of sunshine right out my kitchen door.

Audiobooks

3 audiobooks to listen to in April
  • The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan (Orbit Books): As you know by now, I'm a huge Michael J. Sullivan fan and I've been working my way through his novels, which all take place in the same universe. The Crown Tower is the first book in the second series, The Riyria Chronicles, which takes us back in time and fills us in on how our heroes first meet. The books can be read in order of publication (my choice) or in chronological order -- either way, you'll fall in love with Hadrian and Royce, the fighter and the thief who experienced hate at first sight but later became the best of friends. As you can expect in these epic fantasies, the book is full of intrigue, action, fantastic characters, good humor, and multiple plot lines. Stay tuned for more. Audiobook: Thank the gods that Tim Gerard Reynolds returned to narrate this book. He is perfect for Sullivan's novels. (Recorded Books: 12 hr, 49 min)
  • Edgar & Lucy by Victor Lodato (St. Martin's Press): An 8-year-old boy, his young widowed mother, and his protective grandmother each fight their own inner demons. I can tell this novel is likely deserving of all the buzz it's been getting, even though I'm not really connecting to any of the characters, who -- by the way -- barely connect with each other. Unfortunately, I started the book on audio, which is read by the author. I'm only a couple of hours in and am at that point where I have to decide to continue to listen to the author's choppy, clipped, annoying narration or ditch the audiobook and pick this up in print. (Macmillan Audio, 19 hr, 52 min)
  • On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt): This novel was just what I needed. I loved getting to know Faith Frankel and her family and friends. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are the good kind of quirky, and the plot moves along at a nice pace. So what if Faith's new house may have once been the scene of multiple murders, so what if her fiance turns out to be a jerk, so what if her new boss wrongly accuses her of embezzling, Faith's family and handsome co-worker are there to see her through. I've never read Lipman before, but I'm adding her to my list. Side note: good portrayal of modern Jewish families. Audiobook: Mia Barron picks up on the soul of this novel and does an excellent job bringing the book to life. Solid characterizations and great timing for delivering the humor. (Dreamscape Media; 9 hr, 10 min).
Print Books
  • 2 books to read in AprilLooking for a fun college graduation gift? Just want to do some light soul searching? Give Cristina Vanko's ADULT-ish a try (TarcherPerigee). The book is a guided journal for, as the subtitle says, recording "your highs and lows on the road to the real world." some pages ask for lists (music to help you focus on work), some pages are for drawing (sketch of your dream house), and some pages are for self-reflection (describing a success or failure). Although everyone can benefit from journaling, this book would be perfect for twenty-somethings in their early years of independence.
  • Shannon Hale's Real Friends (First Second) is an autobiographical comic illustrated by LeUyen Pham. This book totally nails elementary school friendships. Girls can be so hard on each other. Hale's experiences are common to most girls in America, at least in the last century: always a struggle to be popular, kind, true to yourself, and independent all at the same time. Who are your real friends? Is it worth being in the cool group if you're constantly worried about kicking out of it? Lots to think about in this book, and I bet it'd make a great book club pick for young readers. Pham's illustrations are expressive and move the book along both in action and in emotion. Recommended for women and girls of all ages.
Children's Book Week

Next week is the 98th annual Children's Book Week, and in celebration, I have several middle grade round-ups, features, and reviews planned for later this week and most of next week. Children's book week celebrates all kinds of children's books, from picture and board books to books geared to young adult readers. For more information on the event and how to get involved, visit the Every Child a Reader website. I love this year's poster, designed by Christian Robinson:

Children's Book Week 2017

18 comments:

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz 4/24/17, 6:42 AM  

I'm itching to read On Turpentine Lane. Glad to see how much you liked it.

https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/04/pencil-pants-post-back-from-library.html

Tina 4/24/17, 6:59 AM  

Lots of good audio books this week, I have not started the Sullivan series but I am intrigued by your descriptions and recommendations.

bermudaonion 4/24/17, 7:13 AM  

I'll have to check out On Turpentine Lane the next time I need an audio book.

Sarah (Sarah's Book Shelves) 4/24/17, 7:34 AM  

I've been hearing that buzz about Edgar and Lucy...sad to hear it isn't working for you. Do you think it would be better in print or no dice?

Kathy Martin 4/24/17, 8:19 AM  

We're still waiting for spring in Minnesota. We'll have once nice day and then it's back to the 40s for some days. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

Susie | Novel Visits 4/24/17, 8:52 AM  

I'm looking for my next audio book. May need to give On Turpentine Lane a try. I do like Mia Barron. Any other audio recs?

Vicki 4/24/17, 10:25 AM  

On Turpentine Lane keeps calling my name.

Laurel-Rain Snow 4/24/17, 11:04 AM  

Thanks for the reminder about On Turpentine Lane, a book I have recently added to my Kindle...and now I must read it sooner, rather than later.

Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting my blog.

SuziQoregon 4/24/17, 11:09 AM  

Oooh - On Turpentine Lane sounds good.

pussreboots 4/24/17, 11:58 AM  

I already have Real Friends on my wishlist. That will be a mother - daughter read together as my daughter loves graphic novel styled nonfiction. I'm also adding Turpentine Lane to my wishlist.

It was a busy week of reading, Girl Scouts, the Mandarin Showcase, and boxing up books. Come see what I'm reading.

Nise' 4/24/17, 1:48 PM  

I am trying not to rush out and get plants/flowers for my deck area, as we can still get a cold snap. For now it is nice to sit out in sunshine! One Turpentine Lane is on my get to quick list.

Yvonne 4/24/17, 4:18 PM  

On Turpentine Lane looks really good. I have that on my wishlist.

JoAnn 4/24/17, 4:18 PM  

I read On Turpentine Lane last week... it was just what I needed, too!

Katherine P 4/24/17, 4:35 PM  

On Turpentine Lane sounds like the perfect read for spring! That's too bad about the audio on Edgar & Lucy. While sometimes a narrator can really make an audio book that can also really mess it up! Good luck with your allergies! I know how killer it is when everything really starts to flower. Enjoy your spring reading!

(Diane) bookchickdi 4/24/17, 7:00 PM  

I lik Elinor Lipman too, her books are always enjoyable. Thanks for the heads up on Children's Book Week, that will be my display at the Book Cellar next week.

Sue Jackson 4/24/17, 7:04 PM  

Did I know you live in central PA? If I did, I forgot! I live in northern DE, so hello, neighbor! I know just what you mean about allergies. That snow in mid-March slowed down our early spring. We were in VA for the week when everything started blooming, then came back home in time for blooms here, and my allergies were crazy for a couple of weeks.

As you know (thanks for visiting my blog!), I really enjoyed Edgar and Lucy, so maybe the problem is with the audio, as you suspect. I was totally engrossed and read it fairly fast, for such a long book. Also, once you get past a certain point (no spoilers :) ), there is some suspense and mystery to the story as well.

I just requested Real friends, so I'm looking forward to that one, and Adult-ish does sound good for graduates! I have a few of those in my life this year :)

Enjoy your books and your deck this week -

Sue

Book By Book

Greg 4/24/17, 10:00 PM  

Yay for spring! It finally got nice here too- today was beautiful (low 70's). Adult-ish does look like a great gift idea, and I've enjoyed Shannon Hale's writing and Real Friends looks perfect for middle school readers.

Daryl 4/27/17, 11:28 AM  

i am going to Google Lipman because the name is teasing my brain but i cant pinpoint why .. thanks!

Thanks for stopping by. I read all comments and may respond here, via e-mail, or on your blog. I visit everyone who comments, but not necessarily right away.

I cannot turn off word verification, but if you are logged into Blogger you can ignore the captcha. I have set posts older than 14 days to be on moderation. I can no longer accept anonymous comments. I'm so sorry if this means you have to register or if you have trouble commenting.

Copyright

All content and photos (except where noted) copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads 2008-2020. All rights reserved.

Quantcast

Thanks!

To The Blogger Guide, Blogger Buster, Tips Blogger, Our Blogger Templates, BlogU, and Exploding Boy for the code for customizing my blog. To Old Book Illustrations for my ID photo. To SEO for meta-tag analysis. To Blogger Widgets for the avatars in my comments and sidebar gadgets. To Review of the Web for more gadgets. To SuziQ from Whimpulsive for help with my comments section. To Cool Tricks N Tips for my Google +1 button.

Quick Linker

Services

SEO

  © Blogger template Coozie by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP