Best Books I Read in 2021

 

 

This is my bookshelf of favorite books in 2021 in no particular order.  I read 105 books this year and my goal was 100. Of course, at least 50% of the books I read are middle grade and therefore I can read them much faster. Overall I had a good reading year and most of the books I read were 3, 4, or 5-star books.  I had a handful of 2 and 1-star books.  Typically I do not finish books if I don't like them and therefore they never get a star rating.  

I don't have a #1 favorite book to name this year.  Taking a look at my list, I just can't pick out one and so I will just leave it at that. These are the titles that I have most recommended others to read or I have actually just lent out.  

I did participate in The Bible in 90 Days reading this year and I was happy to be able to start and finish it in 90 days. Basically, you read about 30 minutes a day from the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in 90 days. What a great accomplishment.  I will have to do this again. I used the You Bible App for reading and pacing. I liked changing the version and sometimes even listened to the day's reading portion. 

I did some blog posts about some of these books titles and I have linked them below.  In 2022, I plan to keep this blog for my middle-grade books that I read.  I will post my adult reads on Instagram and Facebook with a short review.  

I also enjoyed keeping track of my books on Good Reads this year.  I have a handful of friends who also track their reading this way and it was so fun to see what they were reading over the year.  You can find me on Good Reads by my name, Diane Yliniemi. Try it out!

I am going to keep my Book of the Month this year too.  I really enjoy this subscription book service. I actually picked three books for January since I anticipate lots of reading around a cozy fire during the cold winter months. 

Scribd is another new service I now subscribe to.  It has audio and eBooks that I can listen to or read. It is like Netflix for books!  This was so good when I was traveling this summer because there were so many audiobooks to choose from.  It also has so many middle-grade books and that is a bonus for keeping up with reading books for school. 

Here is my list. If I have written a review, I have linked the books. Otherwise, I have a short summary. 

The Story of Arthur Truluv, Night of Miracles, The Confession Club

Big Lies in a Small Town 

Two timelines of 1940 and 2018 tell the story and mystery of a post office mural that was created and then later restored.

The Kitchen Front

If I Were You, The Wishbook Christmas

The first story, If I Were You,  is about two girlfriends who served in England during the blitz in London during WWII. One if from the working class and one is from nobility but the war evens the social classes. One of the women ends up pretending to be the other in order to survive after the war. 

The Wishbook Christmas is a novella follow-up about the women and their families after the war.  

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

The Midnight Library

The Four Winds

The Last Thing He Told Me

Too Small Tola by Atinuke

2021 | 96 pages  | 1 Hour Audio |  Grades 2-4  

I highly recommend this book for the younger elementary group of readers.  It is truly a window into another world and culture. It is set in the modern city of Lagos, Nigeria where Tola lives with her grandmother, older sister, and brother. They are poor and live in a busy apartment building that is run down and prone to electricity outages and broken down elevators. 

The book consists of three stories about the problems and situations Tola experiences.  She is an energetic and loveable character who is happy to let us share her everyday life. She interacts with her grandmother, brother, and sister and the reader learns how this family genuinely loves and supports each other.  

This book would make a great read-aloud for lower elementary kids.  I think this is the start of a new series but I have not seen any hints of future titles as of this writing. 

Check out my book review video: 

The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan

2021 | 256 pages  | 5 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-8 

Sila and her father are struggling.  Sila's mother had to go back to Turkey because of problems with her immigration papers. She thought it was going to be a weekend and it is almost a year.  Sila's father takes her with him when he goes to repair a truck. She meets the lonely elderly man who has recently moved to a home in the country.  They become friends and discover a connection. When they rescue a circus elephant, they find purpose and hope again.  

I loved this book! It is a very unusual story with heart and humor.  The main characters are all different but find connections and friendship. I think this is such an important lesson for all of us to learn.  Friendship can be found in unusual places. 

 

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie by Erin Soderberg Downing

 

5 Stars | Erin Soderberg Downing | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 3-7  | 256 pages 

I think this book is perfect for elementary middle-grade. It is a road trip story with humor, some pictures, a heartwarming family adventure, and a lesson or two.  

The Peach family lives near Duluth, Minnesota with their father, a 7th-grade sister named Lucy, and two younger brothers named Freddy and Herb. They are looking forward to a summer vacation where Lucy plans to read all the books on her 7th-grade reading list, Freddy has art projects to do, and the youngest, Herb wants to swim every day. 

Father comes home and tells the kids that he has purchased a food truck with the million dollars they just received from their mother's invention.  Their mother passed away from cancer several years ago. He tells them that this is what they had always talked about doing together as a family. And so they learn how to make pies and go on a road trip to try and become successful business owners and they even hope to win a food truck festival contest.  Of course, it isn't easy or smooth sailing. Deep down, everyone is dealing with the grief of losing their mother and this crazy summer plan may be something that pushes them back into a cohesive family again.

If you like The Penderwicks or The Vanderbeekers, then you will get a similar vibe with this story.  It is also going to be a series.   The last chapter gives you a hint on the next task the Peach family tackles.  I highly recommend this book!

Favorite Middle Grade Books from Summer Reading

 

I will admit that I read a lot more adult books this summer, however, I still ended up with 10 terrific books to recommend for a middle-grade reader. Check out my favorites!

Hattie Big Sky  

This book is based on a true story about a young teenager who goes to Montana to homestead her Uncle's portion after his death. I loved this book back when it first came out in 2006. I listened to the audio a few years back and loved it again. On my summer trip, while driving through Montana, I listened to it again. That's high praise for a book when I can say I read it three times.  I think I loved the sequel even more. Check out the next link. 

Hattie Ever After  

Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year

The Comeback

Inkling

This is a fantasy about a little ink blot who comes to life and befriends a boy and his family in their struggles. Lots of pictures will make this a great book for kids and I loved the heartwarming story. 

Stamped (for Kids)

City Spies: Golden Gate

This is the second book in the City Spies series. This time the kids end up in San Francisco with lots of mystery, adventure, and spying. 

Red, White, and Whole

Reha is an Indian American girl who feels torn between two cultures and also has to deal with her mother's serious illness. This book is written in verse and is beautiful and heartbreaking. 

Max & the Midknights

The author of Big Nate has a new series set in the middle ages. This funny story is about Max and the quest to become a knight. It is a graphic novel-style book and is sure to be a hit with young readers. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Zoe learns that her father is in prison and starts to write to him discovering that he was falsely accused of his crime. As she gets to know him, she wants to help him get out of prison. 

End of Summer Favorite Books!

This summer, I read 10 books that earned four or more stars!  Since I was on vacation over the summer, I did not keep up with writing blog posts. Instead, I will just give a brief summary of each title.  I recommend these titles. 

 

This is a story about a child who was sent to live with her grandparents shortly after World War II in Kyoto, Japan. Because her father is Black and her mother is Japanese, she is shunned and an embarrassment to her family of royalty. She should have been a princess but instead, she struggles to find significance as she grows up. 

Hannah receives a note from her husband one day that simply says "Protect her." The day's news reveals that he may not be who he said he was. Hannah realizes that protecting her 16-year stepdaughter must be the meaning of this note.  Together the two of them set out to figure out what has gone wrong. 

This story is a combination of Downton Abbey and The Great British Bake-Off.  Set during World War II in England, four cooks enter a contest to develop recipes that help homemakers use rations well.  The winner will be cohost to a popular radio show.  Each cook is as unique as the recipes they create. 

I knew that reading about "The Great Depression" and "The Dust Bowl" would not be light reading.  Everyone told me that this book is really sad and that is true.  But I loved the perseverance and resilience of women and men who struggled during this time period.  This book was a great reminder of our American history.  

I related to the new girl in this book.  Rachel takes her first teaching job on an island in Newfoundland, Canada teaching high school french in 1985. Little Cove is small and only about 400 people live in the town. I was also a first-year high school teacher around that time in a small town in northern North Dakota.  This story felt somewhat familiar. I love reading about small towns where you get to know many quirky characters.  This book was a good choice for me.   I listened to the audiobook and that was great because the narrator read the Newfoundland dialect and I experienced the sound of the speech as I listened to the book. 

This is a story of a bank robber who takes a roomful of apartment hunters hostage. I had read plenty of reviewers who said you might have to get to the middle of the book before you really get into the story. They were right. The first half is really crazy and I kept wondering how so many people could be so idiotic. I think the author takes us on a bit of a ride with this one.  It turns out that there are some heartwarming plot lines and everything ties up nicely despite being so far-fetched. 

I read this series like potato chips.  I couldn't read just one and I had to hunt down the entire series.  It is another small town set in Missouri where you learn about some pretty interesting characters. In the first book, elderly Arthur Truluv is grieving the death of his wife and visits her grave each day while eating his lunch.  A teenager who is escaping school life befriends him. Meanwhile, his neighbor faces love loss and turns to Arthur for friendship.  There are a bunch of baking classes in these titles that were fun to read about.  Although there were a few cringy language parts and some short steamy scenes....you could skim or skip them. All three books could stand alone but are also great to read in order as a series. 

The Comeback by E. L. Shen

4 Stars | E. L. Shen | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 4-6  | 272pages 

| 4 1/2 Hours Audio  

I read this book while I was watching the summer Olympics and found myself counting the months until I can watch Olympic ice skating.  This book gives you an inside view of what an ice-skating athlete has to do in order to be an excellent ice skater with hopes of being in the Olympics. 

Maxine is twelve years old, goes to middle school, is Chinese American, and lives in Lake Placid, New York. She is also a very talented ice skater and has hopes of being good enough to go to the Olympics someday.  She practices, competes, goes to school, and deals with the complexities of middle school. One of her classmates bullies her with unkind remarks and jokes about her ethnicity. She also learns that she has feelings of envy with some of her friendships on the ice.  In a typical middle-grade book, Maxine has to navigate new experiences and emotions as she leaves childhood and moves into her future teen years. 

I recommend getting this book especially since the Winter Olympics will be here soon!  

Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year by Nina Hamza

4 Stars | Nina Hamza | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 3-7  | 320 pages 

| 7  Hours Audio 

I preordered this book when I heard it was written by a Minnesota debut author and was about a Muslim American family who was moving to Minnesota from Hawaii.  A diverse book with a Minnesota connection and my favorite state of Hawaii made me interested.

This book is about a boy who is struggling to fit into a new middle school and has to deal with the emotional situation of having a father who is very ill. In fact, they move to Minnesota in order to get treatment for the Dad.  He is put into a reading class that assigns three classic books to read over the summer: Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  As a reluctant reader and classic underachiever, Ahmed figures he can fake his reading efforts.  However, he finds out that his class is depending on him to put forth more effort.  

Teachers will love this book because of the great connections it has to literature. It is also a great back-to-school book!

Chirp by Kate Messner

4 Stars | Kate Messner | 2020| Mystery | Grades 4-6 | 4.6 Reading Level | 240 pages | 5 Hours Audio

I was fascinated with the idea of eating crickets and making them a normal part of our American diets which was one of the plots in the book. I am not sure I am ready to add them to my diet! But Mia's grandmother sure wants everyone to love eating crickets from her farm. 

The main character is middle schooler Mia who has moved with her family to Vermont. Her grandmother needs help with her cricket farm but also suspects that some sabotage is happening behind the scenes. Mia and her friends try to figure out what is going on. Meanwhile, Mia is also recovering from a broken arm from gymnastics but is learning new skills in the summer camps she is attending. You learn what happened to Mia and why she is avoiding gymnastics classes. Mia learns to speak up and deal with some things that have been bothering her for some time.  

I enjoyed reading this book and I thought it was a great story for middle grade.  

Check out the author reading the first chapter in her book!

5 Star Reads | Mid-Year Reading List

 

It is July first and time to take a look at my favorite 5 star reads for the first half of the year.  I have been reading a lot of adult fiction this summer and was feeling a little bit guilty for ignoring my middle-grade book pile. (It is 6 feet tall!)  It turns out that 9 out of 11 books on this list are middle-grade. So I was relieved to see I still had so many great books to recommend to my younger readers.  

I have already written reviews for many of the books but I did get a little behind in May and so I opted to link a few of the books to the author's book video. I always love to hear what the author has to say about their own book. Click on the links to see a book review or video.  If you want to check out my very favorite books from 2021 then this is your list.  Happy Reading!

Facing the Dawn

The Midnight Library

Hattie Ever After (Audio)

When Stars are Scattered (Audio). I had already read this book but decided to listen to the audio. I was so good. I highly recommend it.  It includes a full cast of readers and sound effects. Don't miss this one. 

Genesis Begins Again

Fighting Words (Audio) I listened to this book and the audio was fabulous. 

Becoming Muhammad Ali

Stamped (For Kids)

The Last Bear

Efren Divided 

The Lion of Mars

Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson

 

5 Stars | Kirby Larson | Historical Fiction | 2013 | Grade 6 and Up | 240 pages | 4.6 reading level | 6 hours listening time

When Hattie Big Sky came out in 2006 I loved it. I even listened to it on audio and loved it just as much. I never picked up the sequel when it came out seven years later. But, on a recent car trip, I listened to the audio of Hattie Ever After and I loved it.  Why did I wait so long? 

If you have never read Hattie Big Sky, then I recommend starting with this title. It is the story of an orphaned teenager from Iowa who gets the chance to take over her deceased uncle's homestead in Montana.  I really admired her spunk and determination. This book was imagined from the author's own family history.  

Kirby Larson didn't plan on a sequel, but so many people asked her about Hattie that she decided to tell the rest of her story.  Hattie Ever After takes her to San Francisco where she dreams of being a reporter in the 1920's. She also solves a mystery along the way.  

I listened to this book and it was so charming and well done. Even though this book is aimed at the young adult audience, I will recommend it to adults too.  It is a great read!  5 Stars!

June Book Club: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

5 Stars | Matt Haig | 2020 | Fantasy Fiction | 304 pages | 9 Hours Audio 

I was not sure if I was going to like this book but it turned out to be a very encouraging story for me. I might even say it was therapeutic. 

It starts with our main character, Nora, feeling like her life is on a track to nowhere and so she takes matters into her own hands to end her life. When she awakes she finds herself in a library full of green books. The librarian in charge turns out to be the same one from her school days. She tells her that all of the books are different versions of Nora's life and she has the opportunity to try them out and pick the best one. The story continues as you explore all of the different life possibilities. 

This is a quick read and but even though it sounds like it could be sad, it is really an uplifting read. There were some lessons that Nora learned that were things that I needed to hear as well. Maybe we all need to be reminded that even though the choices we have are infinite in life, we are where we are supposed to be.  I enjoyed it a lot and give it 5 stars!

Weekend Binge Reads! - Christian Fiction

I got a few new books from a recent Christian Book haul from christianbooks.com and I binge read the following over the weekend.  I loved them..let me tell you about them. 

5 Stars | Cynthia Ruchti | 2021 | Christian Fiction | 320 pages | 10 Hours Audio 

I really enjoy Cynthia Ruchti books. She always writes stand-alone books with unique characters, settings, and issues.  They usually are very character and plot rich which is my favorite type of book.  In Facing the Dawn, you will read about friendship, family, and grief and probably will need a box of tissues too.  This book will move you. 

Mara is struggling to raise her three teenagers in Wisconsin while her husband is doing humanitarian work in Uganda.  He has been away for three years and it is taking a toll on the family. That is about all I can tell you without spoiling things. Don't read any reviews or summaries. Just dive in on this one. I read it in a day and loved it. I rate it a 5!

4 Stars | Melody Carlson | 2020 | Christian Fiction | 352 pages | 8 1/2 Hours Audio  

If you want a happy and light-hearted read then read The Happy Camper. This is how it goes... Dillon has quit her job and moves back to Oregon to live with her grandfather and mother.  Quarters get tight, so when her grandfather gives her a vintage trailer, Dillon falls in love with refurbishing her camper into a perfect home for herself.  Of course, she spends time reacquainting herself with her hometown and finds the local hardware store owner very attractive. 

This book is exactly like a movie on the Hallmark channel.  I was just happy reading about Dillon's work on fixing up her trailer and learning how to take care of it. It is a cozy read with some humor and lots of sweetness. I read it in a day and enjoyed it. I rate it a 4. 

Pumpkin Falls Mystery Series by Heather Vogel Frederick

3.5 Stars | Heather Vogel Frederick | Mystery | Grades 4-8 | 5th Grade Reading Level | Around 350 pages

This is a cozy mystery series for middle-grade with the main character named Truly Lovejoy who is in middle school. The Lovejoys move from Texas to Pumpkin  Falls, New Hampshire to help run the struggling family bookstore. Mr. Lovejoy, the father has been injured in a military accident in Afghanistan and is looking for a new start. Truly is in the middle of the family with two older brothers and two younger sisters. Each book includes a mystery as well as lots of family and friendship plotlines.  Truly's friends form the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes to help solve the mysteries in their little town. 

Book One:  Absolutely Truly

Truly finds an unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte's Web which also goes missing and she and her friends go on a treasure hunt to solve the mystery. 

Book Two: Yours Truly  (check out my previous review)
It is the annual maple sugar festival and someone is sabotaging the maple trees. Truly also finds a diary in the floorboards of her home written by her namesake centuries ago. 

Book Three: Really Truly

Truly is sent to Mermaid Academy and uncovers the mystery of the sunken treasure from pirates during the founding of Pumpkin Falls. 

These books are very sweet,  light,  and cozy.  The mystery and family and friends share equal space.  Enjoyed the first ones more than the third one.  The mystery seemed a side plotline. I did think going to a Mermaid Academy was interesting and fun!  I also loved the cover art for book three. Such a beautiful summer scene. Look closely for the mermaid tail!  

Catherine's War by Julia Billet

 

4 Stars |Julia Billet | 2020| Graphic Novel | Grades 3-7| 3.7 Reading Level | 176 pages

This graphic novel is based on a true story about a girl named Rachel Cohen who discovers her passion for photography while she is living in a children's home outside Paris.  With World War II ramping up, she find herself sent into hiding because she is Jewish.  She has to change her name and is always wary of getting found out.  Her camera goes with her and she continues to document her life. 

The author writes this book based on her mother's childhood and what she faced during the War. You will find notes and photos detailing this information in the back of the book. 

The illustrations in this book are lovely and the story is another great one to add to stories of Jewish children who experienced World War II.  This book was translated from French as written by the author. 

Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green

Amy Lynn Green | Historical Fiction | 2020 | 416 pages | 12 1/2 hours listening time

This book is written by a Minnesota author and is also set in Minnesota.  It is a nominee for the 20201 Minnesota Book Award and the winner will be announced later this month.  It is published by Bethany House publishing company which is headquartered in Minnesota and they focus on Christian fiction. The author also works at this publishing company.  So, I was intrigued and wanted to read this book with so many connections. 

This story takes place during World War II in a small town north of Aitkin, Minnesota.  The town will be hosting a POW camp for German soldiers to help the farmers with farm work. The mayor thought it was a great idea but the residents of the town are not sure they want to associate with German prisoners in their town. 

Johanna Bergland, a linguistics student,  is recruited to come back home and help with translation services between the prisoners and the Americans.  She reluctantly accepts the position and moves back home.  Johanna begins to form relationships and sympathy with the residents of the camp but as a result, her forward ways make her a target for suspicion and gossip.   

This book is written in letters written by Johanna to her friends as well as some of the letters she translates from the prisoners. She also gets involved in having inmates write for the paper and so we see these articles as well. 

Historical fiction, mystery, romance, and Christian fiction all describe this novel. Johanna Bergland is a delightful and funny character and is really fun to follow her on her adventure back home again.  I look forward to reading more books by this author. 

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

 

The Lion of Mars | Jennifer L. Holm | Science Fiction | 2021 | Science Fiction | Grades 3-7 | 4.0 Reading Level | 272 pages | 5 hours 45 minutes listening time

The story opens with a small group of adults and children who live in a small colony on Mars sent from the United States.  You learn that the adults were selected to be the first to live on Mars. The children are orphans who have been delivered to the compound in order to have kids live on Mars. The main character is Bell who is an eleven-year-old boy who has never known life on earth. He is fascinated with earth animals and is always curious about life. One thing he wonders about is why they have been warned to never associate with the other colonies on Mars from other countries. What is wrong with meeting the people in the Chinese, Finnish, or French colonies? They always stay to themselves and it is a bit lonely. 

Eventually, the children in the United States colony need help when all of the adults get sick and they find out that they cannot get help from Earth.  They are forced to venture out and find help from the questionable colonies and they are not sure if it will be wise or even safe. 

I enjoy books on the relational side of science fiction that concentrate more on people and daily life on a planet outside of earth.  This book features the daily tasks, concerns, and living on Mars. Heartbreak and death are part of the plot. The importance of relationships is also highlighted. 

I listened to an interview with the author about this book and she said she imagined starting a new colony on Mars to be like the pioneers of the past. They often were alone and had to rely on each other to survive. They would most often never return to their place of birth. 

I read this book in one sitting and I hope there will be at least a sequel. I enjoyed it a lot!

When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller

When You Trap A Tiger | Tae Keller | 2020 | Fantasy | Grade 3-7 | 4.1 Reading Level | 304 pages | 7 1/2 hours listening time

Lilly and her mother and sister move into their grandmother's home because she is ill. Lilly meets a tiger that no one else can see. The tiger tells her that her grandmother stole the stories which are Korean folktales. The tiger wants to make a deal and is willing to heal the grandmother if Lilly can get back what was stolen.

There is no doubt that the family relationships are very loving. The writing is lovely and the Korean folktales connection was very interesting. This book will be loved by many readers.

I was underwhelmed. This book just won the Newbery award and so I was looking for the 5-star feelings but couldn't find them. I was somewhat confused by the folktale storyline about the Tiger and its meaning. I thought it was a sad story and I never really connected with the characters. I was sorry about that because it will make it hard for me to sell this book to other readers.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

 

Furthermore | Tahereh Mafi | Fantasy | 5.5 Reading Level | Grade 4-7 | 8 hours listening time

This is a very whimsical and charming fantasy about a boy and a girl who are looking for her father who has been missing for at least three years. They discover a world called Furthermore with plenty of enchantment and magical rules to make their journey dangerous and impossible. The writing is so clever and lovely. It made me stop and reread to enjoy the words.

If you love fantasy worlds with plenty of adventure then this is a good choice.  The illustrated cover was just so beautiful and captured my interest. 

A Fatal Grace | The Cruelest Month | Louise Penny

 

Book #2 | Winter (1 year after book #1 which takes place in October)

Boxing Day Murder at the Curling Tournament

Three Pines is more familiar to me this time and so I wasn't as confused by the characters and am more used to the writing style.  In this visit, it is Christmas and the village is making festive preparations. You meet a women named CC who imagines herself to be the next Martha Stewart and yet everyone who knows her or meets her is just turned off by her philsophies, decorations, and personality.  She has moved to the village with her daughter and husband. The day after Christmas, a curling tournament is held on the lake.  CC is murdered in open air by electricution and noone sees the murder.  Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate.  Meanwhile something is amiss in his professional life and there are hints that trouble is brewing for him too. 

Book #2 | Spring | 2007

Easter Seance Murder at a Haunted House

A famous pychic is visiting Three Pines and the villagers decide to do a seance at the old Hadley house which is thought to be evil and hanted.  On Easter evening, during the event, someone dies of fright or perhaps it is murder. Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate.  We learn more hints about what professional trouble is happening in his life.  

This book opens with a funny scene of the villagers hiding chocolate Easter eggs and then finding them all eaten up the next morning by the wildlife. This happened several years ago and so now they just hide wooden eggs. It has become dangerous to be in the area during this time because bears have been known to be appearing each year looking for more chocolate.  Also quite whimisical, Ruth Zardo, the elderly, quirky town poet hatches and fosters duck eggs.  

Twins by Varian Johnson

 4 Stars | Varian Johnson | Graphic Novel | 2020 | Grades 3-7 | 256 pages | 2.9 reading level

This book has been on so many 2020 book lists and it is about twin sisters, so I had to read it. Francine and  Maurine are starting 6th grade and Francine is beginning to want to have her own identity. She plans on running for president of the class and also begins to dress differently. The twins aren't even in the same classes anymore. Maureen finds out later that it was a request of her twin sister. She is hurt and lashes out and even runs against her for president.  Sixth grade will be a year with a lot of changes and growth for both of them. 

I wanted to read this book because I am also a twin and wanted to see how Varian Johnson tells their story. He is also a twin and so I think he nailed the drama that happens in this book. I am very surprised that he wrote about girls since he and his brother are identical twins. I Googled and learned that he wanted to write this story for his daughters. He also wanted this to be a story where they could see Black kids as the stars of the story. 

I thought the illustrator did a great job. She added lots of details that aren't in the writing but add so much. For example, the girls were headscarves to bed to protect their hair. I am sure she had fun drawing all the outfits, hairstyles, and school and family scenes.  Shannon Wright mentioned in an article I read that she was burned out drawing books that were sad and heavy. This project was what she needed. I hope these two team up and bring us more books about Francine and Maurine!

True To You by Becky Wade

3 Stars | Becky Wade | Christian Romance | 2017 | 384 pages | 2018 Christy Book Award

Nora Bradford runs and owns a historical village in her town. She also loves to help people with genealogical research questions. She meets a former Navy SEAL named John Lawson who needs help finding his biological mother. He was abandoned at birth and has never been able to learn his mother's identity. He has a medical condition in which he needs some answers from his blood relatives. Nora agrees to help and despite the two being so different, romantic feelings start to rise. The information that is uncovered in their research is something neither of them ever imagined and it brings them to a pause to figure out the implications. 

This story is a typical romance until towards later in the book where the new information gets really interesting. It almost felt like it was from another book!  I think I was missing some depth from Nora. She seems to be happy-go-lucky and you don't really see her deepest feelings underneath her quirky and sunshiny personality.  This is a sweet and clean romance with a touch of intrigue which is what probably made it a Christy Award winner.  I would have liked a bit more depth, but overall it was a good story. Nora has two sisters who each have a story to tell in this series called The Bradford Sisters. 

 

Recursion by Blake Crouch

 

4 Stars | Black Crouch | 2019 | Science Fiction /Thriller | 336 pages

I needed to read something different and I picked this time travel thriller.  It is quite the ride and it was a page turner. It does get complicated as time travel tends to do, but I just ignored the parts that I couldn't quite figure out. I wonder if the author feels the same way when they write such imagined technical plot lines? 

This is a story of a woman who is a scientist and is trying to figure out a way to help her mother who has dementia get her memories back.  Turns out that other people are more interested in her research for villainous reasons. As a result of her experiments getting into the wrong hands, there is a epidemic of something called false memory syndrome happening to people. The results are often destructive as people are not able to cope. 

There are lots of different timelines going on in this book which you would expect from a time travel book. However, it was a great read and a good change of pace.  

Katie The Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable

4 Stars | Colleen AF Venable | 2021| Graphic Novel | Grades 3-7| 3.0 Reading Level | 224 pages 

This is a great graphic novel about friendships, villains, heroines, and cats. Lots of cats! In fact, Katie finds herself taking care of 218 of them.  She is catsitting to earn money to go to summer camp with her friends.  Living in a city, in an apartment building, she tries her hands at all kinds of odd jobs.  Most of her jobs are flops.  Then she finds this very strange job taking care of so many smart cats.  They have lots of special skills and even though they can destroy the apartment in the evening, when the owner comes home all is fixed and ready as though nothing happened.  Katie also becomes suspicious of the woman who owns all these cats.  What is she doing out late every night? Does it have anything to do with the news reports about the crime happening in the city? 

What a fun story and a perfect graphic novel for the younger middle grade reader.  I hope there are more to come!

The Littlest Voyageur by Margi Preus

 

4 Stars | Margi Preus | 2020 | Historical/Animal Fiction | Grade 2-5 | 4.7 Reading Level| 176 pages | 2 1/4 hours listening time

I wanted to give this book a hug when I was done because it was so sweet and fun. I adored this feisty little red squirrel who stows aboard the canoe of a group of French Canadian voyageurs who are leaving Montreal for their journey to Grand Portage. Along the way you learn about what the voyageurs go through as they make their way on their mission to transport for the fur trade. 

There are lots of extras in the back of the book that help with the French words and pronunciations, history, and information about squirrels too. Don't let the French turn you off...you can read this aloud to kids with just a little bit of practice.  Margi Preus has a YouTube channel where she has many videos with read alouds of the chapters. Don't miss this great little book. 

Here is my video book review of this book.

The Star Crossed Lovers of Tuscany

Lori Nelson Spielman | Contemporary Fiction | 2020 | 4 Stars

I loved this story. I felt like I went on vacation to Italy! Since we haven't been traveling at all, this was exactly the book I needed to read. It is funny, warm, and a great escape. Food, scenery, and interesting family dynamics are all part of the reading experience. 

An elderly aunt takes her two grand nieces with her to Italy where she plans to meet the love of her life. Now, in their family, it is said that the second-born daughter has been cursed and will never marry. All three are in this category and yet the aunt is on a mission to change this. 

There is also a second timeline to follow as we learn about the great aunt's younger self and why she is convinced that she will meet her love in Italy.  

 

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

 

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh | Candace Fleming | 2020 | Biography

This is a fascinating account of the life of Charles Lindbergh. It is written for young adults but good for adults too!  I had the chance to stop in on a live history day at the Charles Lindbergh State Park in Little Falls one summer weekend and learned a lot about his life.  This book added to my knowledge of this famous or "infamous" Minnesotan.   He did some amazing things and yet held some very narrow-minded ideas along with being very charismatic and controversial. 

The first part of the novel tells about his early life and how he was able to become the first person to fly from New York to Paris.  Next, it turns into a true-crime drama when we learn about the famous kidnapping of his son. Finally, you learn how Lindbergh gets wrapped up as a Nazi sympathizer and a political leader.  

I have read several books by Candace Fleming. From her picture books to middle-grade to young adult non-fiction, and I found that they were all great. She won an award for best nonfiction for young adults for this book.  

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

 

The Winter  Soldier | Daniel Mason | 2018 | Historical Fiction 

This is a World War 1 story about a medical student who enlists in the war in Poland in order to get experience as a doctor. The nurse, who is a nun at the remote field hospital where he is sent, shows him how to do everything. He grows and learns about medicine, life, and love. Suddenly, he is separated from the small hospital and thrust into other parts of the war. The entire time he is trying to get back to his first love. 

This book gives you the experiences of how horrific war is. It is also a bit of a romance and a mystery. It can get a bit grim at times because it is descriptive about the battle injuries and fighting.  Overall, I really liked the book.  

I found the video series Anzac Girls on Amazon Prime and it is a good companion to this book.  It is also about WW1 and tells the story of Australian nurses who come to Europe to serve in the war.  I watched episode number one and look forward to more of them!