Each month I share the books I have been reading as a part of The 2016 Reading Challenge, as well as books I have read for fun. I hope that these quick reviews provide you with some new titles to add to your list of Books to Read.
I really got on a reading kick this month! I read several young adult books to preview them for my classes and to have conversations with some of my students. I find that when I listen to my student’s recommendations and actually read the books they tell me about, it builds a great sense of community in the class. That in turn motivates them to read more. Plus, I get to read some good books!
Adult Nonfiction
Bossypants by Tina Fey
In keeping with April’s Reading Challenge of a Memoir, I read Tina Fey’s Bossypants. I seldom literally laugh out loud when reading, but I did MANY times with this book! The language can be a bit crass at times, but overall I really enjoyed the book. It was interesting to learn more about Fey’s life, her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and to get a behind the scenes look at the production of a television show.
Adult Fiction
An Incomplete Revenge and Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
I continued my binge reading of the Maisie Dobbs series this month by reading the fifth and sixth books in the series. Maisie Dobbs is a female detective in England during the 1920s. After serving as a nurse during The Great War, Maisie becomes a private investigator who uses psychology and intuition to solve crimes. The first novel sets the tone for the series, introducing Maisie’s character and establishing the setting–particularly the time period.
I found that the actual mysteries themselves improved with each subsequent book, so if you’re still on the fence after the first book you should keep reading. I knew very little about World War I or the post-war Europe, and really enjoyed learning more about the time period through this mystery series. My librarian also recommended that I read the books in order. While the mysteries themselves do not need to be in order, many things in Maisie’s personal life make best sense when they are read from the first book on. If you are looking for a new mystery series, be sure to check out the Maisie Dobbs series!
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
I first heard of this novel from Modern Mrs. Darcy, and since I always love her pics, I knew I would enjoy it. But, it was really the cover that got me. How gorgeous is that! Secrets of a Charmed Life tells the story of Emmy and her sister Julia who live in London during the air raids of WWII. They are sent to the countryside to live with a stranger, as are many children during that time period. But, unlike most children, they secretly go back so that Emmy can try to reach a dream. Then, on the first day of the Blitz, their lives are changed forever. I literally couldn’t put the book down and stayed up WAY too late one night finishing it.
Young Adult Fiction
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The most recent Newbery Award winner, The Crossover combines sports and poetry. Kwame Alexander has written an engaging novel in verse–an increasingly popular genre. Twins Josh and Jordan are hardcore basketball players and best friends. That is, until a girl and family dynamics get in the way. This quick read will engage your teen while introducing them to poetry.
Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
I absolutely love Shannon Hale’s Newbery Honor book The Princess Academy, which is why I couldn’t believe it when I found out there were two more books in the series that I hadn’t read. In this second in the series, Miri and her friends travel to Asland, the capital city, to help prepare Britta for her upcoming marriage to Prince Stefan. However, they find that a revolution is brewing. Miri has to decide which side she is on and use her wits to save the ones she loves. I liked this novel, but I also consider it to be the weakest of the three in the series. Definitely read the The Princess Academy first!
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale
The final in the Princess Academy series, The Forgotten Sisters finds Miri poised to return home to her beloved Mount Eskel. Instead, the king demands that she run a Princess Academy for three royal cousins to prepare them for marriage. When Miri arrives, she discovers the sisters living in a swamp, virtually forgotten by the world. She also discovers a very dark secret that she wasn’t meant to uncover. A fine ending to an engaging series for middle school girls (or adults who enjoy young adult literature!).
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
I know almost nothing about the Berlin Wall. My lack of knowledge about 20th century world events is woeful, but, in my defense, we seldom made it past the Civil War in history class growing up. So, I learned a lot about the creation of the Wall, about life in East Germany, and about the resistance against the Stasi and propaganda. In A Night Divided, Gerta finds her family divided in a single night. Her father and brother happen to be in West Germany on the night the Wall is constructed, leaving her, her mother, and oldest brother on the East German side. Can Gerta find a way to reunite her family? An excellent historical fiction novel for young adults.
Get more book recommendations from April’s Reading Challenge: A Memoir. Be sure to check out The 2016 Reading Challenge!
Also, you can follow me on Facebook in order to get more recommendations and join in the conversation about great books.
What have you been reading this month? I always love book recommendations!
(Linked to Quick Lit.)
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Florence says
Another Maisie fan here! And I too lost sleep to read Secrets of a Charmed Life–good all the way to the very last page.
Thanks for the review of Bossypants. I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not but I will give go now.
I will be so thankful when we finish SPQR by Mary Beard. My husband and I are reading it aloud each evening and I have been so disappointed with it. It had great reviews and we were really looking forward to it. Oh well.
I am enjoying Bill Bryson’s new book, The Road to Little Dribbling. I love his droll sense of humor.
Elena says
I heard about The Crossover on What Should I Read Next and think it’s such a great way to engage teen boys to reading, especially free verse poetry! Such a great concept! Have you read Brown Girl Dreaming? I heard about it on the podcast and listened to the audiobook and LOVED it! I may have to try more free verse soon!
Sarah says
I have read Brown Girl Dreaming and really enjoyed it! If you like the free verse novel concept for young adults, you can also try Inside Out (about a girl in Vietnam during the war who comes to the United States) and Out of the Dust (about the Great Depression). So good!