Category Archives: News and Fun

Review: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou cover shows a silhouette of a bird in flight against a sunset background.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
Random House
Published April 21, 2009 (Orig. 1969)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
 
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.
 
Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin

Thoughts About Reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

As I read this book, I thought back through my English literature education. Other than at least one poem by Langston Hughes in seventh grade, I can’t remember specifically reading any Black authors. It’s possible we read poetry by Maya Angelou. I especially do not remember ever reading about life in segregated America from a Black perspective, which seems like a huge thing when I think about it.

It is honestly a little bit alarming to me that I’m this old and just now reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings for the first time. I’ve read a pathetically small amount of classic literature by Black authors and/or authors of color in general. This is a problem I’m working to fix.

My Review

I love the way the author describes things. Some of the descriptions are pure poetry. Others vividly recount a moment or experience with such specificity that I felt like I was there witnessing the scene.

I listened to the audiobook version, read by the author, which I deeply enjoyed. She sings the hymns written in the text. She reads in a way that shows off the beauty of the poetic descriptions in the text while inviting the reader into each moment.

As I mentioned above, I think this is the first book I’ve read that shows segregated life in America from a Black perspective. (The more I think about it, the more I think that should absolutely be a requirement for high school literature. Wow.) I’m not sure I will ever forget the scene in which Maya and her brother hide her uncle in a vegetable bin and pile onions and potatoes on top of him because they’ve been warned that the Klan will be riding through their town looking for someone to harm.

The author describes the people in her life really well, too. As I read, I could sense both her admiration and her frustration with her mother and grandmother. These were both strong women with different values. They protected her and wounded her, sometimes knowingly, and sometimes without meaning to do so.

Conclusion

I’m so glad I read this book. It’s haunting and beautiful. There are some scenes that are hard to read (see content warnings below), but I really believe books like this are important. I am looking forward to reading more of Maya Angelou’s work.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple uses of the N-word as Maya heard it used. In one scene, she lists other derogatory terms she heard used.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man abuses Maya (a child) multiple times, the last time being the most violent. Descriptions are brief. It’s hard to read, but it does show the trauma and the complicated feelings and conclusions she drew from the experience as a child.

Maya worries about her body’s development. She reads about lesbianism and intersex conditions at the library and then speaks with her mom, who helps her understand that what’s happening to her body is normal development. There’s a little bit of biological description here.

One scene briefly relates Maya’s first (consensual) sexual experience. It’s not very specific except to relate how functional rather than romantic it was.

Spiritual Content
References to attending church and singing hymns. Maya’s grandmother, Mama, believes that if you’re good, God will love you.

Violent Content
Brief mentions of harm to children. Maya’s uncle threatens to burn her on the stove if she can’t answer his questions. She believes, looking back, that he never would have harmed her. Reference to a woman hitting a child’s legs with a switch if they didn’t wash properly or teachers striking the palms of students with rulers if they disobeyed.

Maya’s grandmother hits her as punishment for using the term “by the way,” which her grandmother considers swearing.

Drug Content
Several scenes reference adults smoking cigarettes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology
Edited by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor
Page Street YA
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology

With stories from NYT bestselling and debut authors, Why on Earth uses an accidental alien invasion to explore love and identity.

What starts as a simple rescue mission for a crew of teen aliens to recover one of their own soon becomes an interstellar encounter no one will forget.

Captain Iona is organizing an impromptu retrieval for her brother, an undercover alien posing as a movie star. But her efforts go awry when a technical malfunction turns her heroic rescue into an unintentional invasion. With tales of disguised extraterrestrials stuck in theme parks, starship engineers hitchhiking to get home, and myth-inspired intergalactic sibling reunions, each story in this multi-author anthology explores the universal desire to be loved and understood, no matter where you come from. After all…aliens are just like us.

“This anthology twinkles with an adventurous spirit, quirky personalities, hope, and a sense of belonging. Stellar.”
―Kirkus Reviews

“Out of this world!”
―Scott Reintgen, New York Times bestselling author of A Door in the Dark

“Epic fun exploring themes of acceptance and the desire to connect, regardless of species, Why on Earth is an absolute blast!”
―Alechia Dow, author of The Sound of Stars

“A delightful collection of offbeat, otherworldly stories filled with heartwarming moments and loads of entertaining, imaginative writing.”
―Kimberly Jones, New York Times bestselling author of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight

“An all-star lineup of brilliant authors with stories that make you laugh, feel, and cheer.”
―Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Wish of the Wicked

“Whether it’s a story to build the world we’re beaming into, misguided crushes in the middle of an alien invasion, or the most charmingly awkward teen alien this side of the Milky Way, there will be plenty for readers to enjoy in this anthology!”
―Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot

My Review

This might be the most fun anthology that I’ve read to this point. I loved how the individual stories connected together. Each one, as the cover copy infers, explores love and identity. Some follow romantic relationships or hopes, while others explore a character’s dreams and what makes them feel they belong.

The opening story tells about an alien captain and her crew on a rescue mission to earth to retrieve a family member the captain fears is being held captive. Each story that follows connects to the stories that came before it in some way. Some of them include the same characters. Others witness the alien ship crash or lift off.

I enjoyed every single story. The individual stories feature an inclusive cast of characters. The authors captured a sense of humanity, wonder, and what it means to be alive and connected to others. This is a great anthology for this moment in time. It’s filled with hope and humor. Definitely worth a read!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few stories have some limited profanity. I think a couple have the F-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two characters. The alien characters refer to this human experience as “a meeting of the lips,” which I found absolutely charming.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. People react to the news of the alien ship crashlanding on earth by worrying that an invasion is imminent. Some panic. Police and other officials yell and try to clear the street to enforce a shelter-in-place order.

A few stories contain brief homophobic or transphobic comments. Some characters are misgendered or rejected for their identities. One character has been kicked out of their home because they came out to their family.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia and Brittney Williams

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Mixed-Up
Kami Garcia
Illustrated by Brittney Williams
Lettering by Comicraft’s Tyler Smith
First Second
Published January 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mixed-Up

New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia has returned with a middle grade graphic novel about the struggles of a game-loving girl who gets diagnosed with dyslexia and her loving support network that help her along in the journey.

When reading isn’t as easy as ABC…

Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class and they all got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game!

But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top. Why does it take her so long to read? And how can she keep up with friends in the Witchlins game if she can’t get through the text-heavy guidebook?] And when she can’t deal with the text-heavy Witchlins guidebook, she can’t keep up with her friends in the game. It takes loving teachers and her family to recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.

Bestselling author Kami Garcia was inspired to write this special book by her daughter’s dyslexia journey; her own neurodivergent experience; and the many students she taught over the years. Mixed-Up shows that our differences don’t need to separate us.

My Review

I love the way this book shows Stella’s struggles with reading. I do not have dyslexia and have limited familiarity (some loved ones are dyslexic) with the diagnosis, but the pages show Stella’s experience clearly. The panels make it easy to understand what’s happening and why.

Several adults offer Stella support as they talk with her about the differences in how her brain processes letters on a page. Stella learns new skills, and we see the change in her confidence and carriage as she begins reading more quickly and with better comprehension.

This book made me want to see that kids like Stella get the support they need and that the adults in their lives learn about neurodivergence.

Besides being a compelling story about dyslexia and growing as a reader, Mixed-Up also tells a sweet story about friendship and fandom. Stella and her best friends are excited about a new online game that’s based on a TV show they watch together. When competing in the game requires a lot of reading, Stella gets discouraged and withdraws from her friends. Her friends feel rejected and confused about the withdrawal, and a conflict brews.

All the pieces of the book come together to celebrate neurodiversity, friendship, and the many different forms of reading so beautifully. I highly recommend this book. The backmatter has a great list of resources for people interested in learning more about dyslexia.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Stella and her friends follow a popular show called Witchlins in which the characters have magic powers.

Violent Content
One scene shows a story Stella is writing and characters in peril. The scene is quickly resolved.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation
Rosemary Sullivan
Harper Perennial
Published January 17, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Betrayal of Anne Frank

Using new technology, recently discovered documents and sophisticated investigative techniques, an international team—led by an obsessed former FBI agent—has finally solved the mystery that has haunted generations since World War II: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?

More than thirty million people have read The Diary of a Young Girl, the journal teen-aged Anne Frank kept while living in an attic with her family in Amsterdam during World War II, until the Nazis arrested them and sent Anne to her death in a concentration camp. But despite the many works—journalism, books, plays and novels—devoted to Anne’s story, none has ever conclusively explained how the Franks and four other people managed to live in hiding undetected for over two years—and who or what finally brought the Nazis to their door.

With painstaking care, former FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a team of indefatigable investigators pored over tens of thousands of pages of documents—some never-before-seen—and interviewed scores of descendants of people involved, both Nazi sympathizers and resisters, familiar with the Franks. Utilizing methods developed by the FBI, the Cold Case Team painstakingly pieced together the months leading to the  Franks’ arrest—and came to a shocking conclusion. 

The Betrayal of Anne Frank is their riveting story. Rosemary Sullivan introduces us to the investigators, explains the behavior of both the captives and their captors and profiles a group of suspects. All the while, she vividly brings to life wartime Amsterdam: a place where no matter how wealthy, educated, or careful you were, you never knew whom you could trust. 

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, January 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. While it’s important to listen and learn about the Holocaust and the events that led to those horrors throughout the year, this is a day we designate to specifically pause and remember.

My Review of The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation

This incredible book blew me away. Initially, I listened to the audiobook, but I needed to read passages in the ebook version alongside the audio version because there was so much compelling information presented. I sometimes read ahead in the ebook and then listened to the audiobook, too. I found having both helped me grasp the content.

Sullivan does a great job laying out the cold case investigation with orderliness and precision. She also orients readers to the importance of the quest by offering context about the Netherlands in the 1930s and 1940s as well as information about the Frank family and Otto Frank’s life after the war.

Some of the things the author describes are genuinely heartbreaking. The one that hit me the hardest was the description of how Anne Frank’s diary comes into her father’s possession. Another thing that struck me was the way that the people hiding the eight people in the annex lived during the war and the constant danger they risked.

If you enjoy nonfiction about World War II or cold case stories, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Very brief mention of Anne’s relationship with Peter van Pels. One of the possible betrayers was a woman known to have romantic relationships with Nazi officers.

Spiritual Content
References to Judaism.

Violent Content
References to deaths caused by World War II and concentration camps. References to antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

2024 Goals Recap: Stats and Updates

Lists, News and Fun, , , , ,

My December plans got swallowed up by holiday celebrations and time spent with visiting family, but I’m back at my laptop and reviewing my reading and blogging progress from last year for this 2024 goals recap.

I started 2024 with ambitious goals and plans to make blogging a little easier and more joyful. As I’m looking back, it’s nice to see the places where I made significant progress. I read more books (261) than my stated goal (200). I even knocked out quite a few backlist titles (73) I’d really wanted to read.

If you’re looking for my favorites of last year, you’ll find them in this post of my top ten favorites from 2024. This post will focus on recapping goals and sharing my reading stats.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some facts and figures from my reading life in 2024. Prepare to geek out over charts with me!

Books Read in 2024 by Age Group

Since I’ve been blogging, the bulk of the books I read in a year are generally young adult books. This year, just over one-third were for a middle-grade audience. The biggest surprise is that I read fifteen books marketed toward adults. Most of those were nonfiction titles, but I think a couple of fiction titles slipped into the mix as well.

Types of Books I Read in 2024

While most of what I read in 2024 were full-length novels, I read a lot more nonfiction than I realized. Years ago, when I started prioritizing reading a little more nonfiction, my goal was to read one nonfiction title per month. This year, I read an average of five per month.

The poetry classification mostly refers to novels in verse, I think. I read one poetry collection. I’m hoping to read more poetry this year.

Frontlist vs. Backlist

Another goal I had in 2024 was to read some titles that had been languishing on my backlist reading list. (Books I wanted to read that came out before 2024.) I joined a couple of challenges and created a couple of reading lists that helped me focus on books I wanted to read. Audiobooks were a huge help here, too. A lot of the audiobooks I listened to were backlist titles. Altogether, I read 187 books published in 2024 and 73 published before that.

Format Breakdown

I was kind of all over the place with the formats of the books I read. A little over half were digital, which tracks since I’m still pretty divided about whether I prefer physical copies or ebooks. I love the ability to frequently flip quickly from one spot to another, like from where you’re reading to a map or character list, that you get in a physical book. But I love the convenience of ebooks. Oh, I finished my book, but I’m all cozy under the covers of my bed and it’s cold out there? No worries. I don’t have to get up, I can just start another ebook!

Goals Recap

Read Harder 2024 Challenge

2024 was my second year participating in Book Riot’s Read Hard(er) challenge. The prompts help me read more inclusively and have led me to books I sincerely enjoyed. I completed 23 out of 24 of the challenge prompts. The only one I missed was about reading a book by an author and then attending an event (in person or online) with them. I signed up for a few virtual author events, but something always prevented me from going. I love that idea, though, so I may try to do some virtual events this year.

Beat the Backlist Challenge

For the second year in a row, I also joined the Beat the Backlist challenge hosted by Austine Decker. I completed 41 out of 52 prompts, which I’m calling a win. I read 73 books published before 2024, so the challenge definitely helped me get to some of the titles that had been on my reading list for a while.

Read the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Project

Oof. Okay, so I had planned to write a post during Banned Books Week in September to highlight the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2023 and talk about book banning in general. I didn’t finish reading all the books on the list in time, and frankly, I started to doubt how helpful a post like that would be. Though I still have mixed feelings, I want to continue reading banned books so I’m informed about specific titles. I want to pair that effort with action that helps challenge book bans more directly, so I’m considering connecting those two projects for 2025.

By the end of the year, I managed to read all ten most frequently challenged books. I suspect some of the same titles will appear on the list this year, so maybe that will give me more time to find the right focus for the project this year.

Community Goals

One of the things I hoped to do in 2024 was post more lists and participate in a bookish community in some way. I was inconsistent with my list posts, especially this past fall. That was disappointing, but I’m shaking off the dust of that defeat and ready to try again this year.

I found a group of KidLit bloggers that do monthly virtual meet-ups, and that’s been truly an incredible experience. It’s so much fun to talk to people who read KidLit and want to talk about them, plus understand the ins and outs of running a blog. I’ve had a great time at every event I’ve attended. We’re starting a spin-off quarterly book club, and I’m super excited about that, too.

I’m still struggling to manage my review schedule and book hoard, but I sent several boxes of books to a detention center I heard about via Sentences Book Donations and a few more to a charity collecting books for Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. I feel good about that and will donate more books this year. I’m working on a blog post about places to send books for donation, so keep an eye out for that soon!

Process Goals

Some of my goals for 2024 had to do with my processes of selecting which books to review and managing the number of books that I keep versus give away after reading them. I found mixed success here.

Regarding which books I reviewed, I started noting which books I received that I requested versus books that I did not request. (These usually come from publishers I’ve worked with before.) That helped me prioritize the books I specifically asked to read and review and fit in the unsolicited ones when I had extra time.

I’ve tweaked that process a bit this year, making more small changes that I hope will help me be more organized. I feel pretty good about it.

I also used more of the stats and information in the reading tracker spreadsheet I used again last year. (That’s where the chart info above came from!) I’m happy with that and looking forward to continuing with the spreadsheet in 2025.

What goals did you meet for 2024?

Did you set reading goals for yourself for last year? If so, were you successful in meeting them? Leave a comment and let me know how you did.

If you posted a 2024 goals recap, please leave me a link to your post below!

Review: After Life by Gayle Forman

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

After Life
Gayle Forman
Quill Tree Books
Published January 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About After Life

“After Life is a masterful tale about a family coping with loss, showing the way grief affects us and people we don’t even know in ways we don’t see. Once I met Amber and her family, I didn’t want to let them go.” -—Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of Carving Shadows into Stone

“Forman is a master at making her readers fall in love—with a girl whose life is over, with a community of people in a small town who are barely surviving her loss, and with the incredible, surprising way everyone’s stories knit together into a heartbreaking and hopeful whole.” —E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.

Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.

This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.

My Review

The first novel by Gayle Forman I ever read was If I Stay. (Which, apparently, I never reviewed! Hmm.) My first thought about After Life was that it has a similar ethereal vibe to If I Stay.

In After Life, Amber returns, but there’s a veil between her and her past life, seven years ago. Some things about her life are fresh in her mind and still feel present to her, but to everyone else, she’s been gone seven years. Her return isn’t just miraculous; it’s jarring.

The story jumps around a lot from past to present and different perspectives. I kept everything straight easily, maybe because the chapters were so short. Maybe because the characters are all so different from one another. The story felt pretty straightforward like everything contributed to a whole.

Only one scene struck me as super weird. In it, the romance escalates quickly and suddenly halts. I thought that considering the history of the characters, it seemed strange that the scene played out that way. I just didn’t find it believable, especially as I continued reading.

The rest of the book had some hard-hitting emotional scenes. The town where Amber’s family lives has an It’s a Wonderful Life feel. Threads connect characters in sometimes surprising ways. One character’s actions have a ripple effect, impacting other people in the story. The way the narrative jumps around allows readers to focus on those threads and see how the characters are connected.

At the core of the story is a relationship between two sisters. Melissa and Amber had a complicated relationship before Amber’s death. Amber wants to make up for lost time and for the harm she has caused. The tenderness and acceptance between those two is my favorite part of the story.

The book also explores our different responses to grief. Forman wrote an insightful afterward that explains why she wrote the story and her thoughts on how we grieve. I loved the book before I read her note, but I loved it even more after reading it.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a good one, especially if you like books that break convention to explore a spiritual or relational idea. It’s also less than 300 pages, so a pretty quick read. I highly recommend it.

The cast of the story is pretty inclusive. It includes a person with severe allergies, several queer people, and people of color.

Content Notes for After Life

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some profanity used.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex and cheating on a partner. Some scenes describe nudity and, briefly, sex.

Spiritual Content
References to Christian faith and atheism. (One of Amber’s parents was an atheist before her death and appears to have a change of heart when she reappears. Her other parent kept faith as a core part of life, which Amber’s death appears to have challenged.) The family (minus Amber) attends church (off-scene) and speaks to their pastor about miracles.

Violent Content
A boy grabs a girl by the shoulders and shakes her. A man punches someone (several scenes reference this). References to an accident in which a car struck a girl on a bike, killing her. Her injuries are briefly described.

Drug Content
More than one character (adults) drinks too much alcohol or appears to be an alcoholic. A teen drinks alcohol. References to drug use or selling/buying drugs.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.