Completely Full Bookshelf

I didn't have the chance to read at all this week, because it was my first week back in grad school and there was so much  happening. I'm hoping that tonight (Sunday night), I'll have the chance to crack open a book...and then we'll see if I can keep the momentum going throughout the week. I did want to mention two things, though: The Kidlit Lovers' Meetup! The next Kidlit Lovers' Meetup is THIS Wednesday: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 4 - 4:45 PM Pacific / 5 - 5:45 PM Mountain / 6 - 6:45 PM Central / 7 - 7:45 PM Eastern RSVP here >> As always, this is a chance for folks to meet other book bloggers and readers, and talk about books, blogging, reading, and more! I'll have discussion questions prepared to keep the conversation going. And it's designed to be very low-stress—even if you're as chronically introverted as I am, my goal is for you to still feel welcome and enjoy yourself! You can RSVP for the meetup here , or learn more about the meetups ...

So I had actually started a new graphic novel this week, which I was hoping to recommend today! It would have been the third graphic novel for my goal of reading four in August. But alas, my excitement to read it gave way to dismay, because I found it a little bit racially insensitive. The main character is a White boy—not a terribly likable one, but it's a zany, humorous kind of book, so I don't think the goal is for the characters to be bastions of morality. But one of his compatriots is a Black girl, and I honestly felt like her whole character was defined in relation to him—she follows him around, fascinated with his antics but also poking at him in a sort of generic-banter-y way. But at least in the first third of the book, she got no real character development, and I feel like (whether intentionally or unintentionally) the story was implicitly creating a hierarchy, with a White boy on top as the ruler of his "posse," and a Black girl underneath him. All that gav...

Hi hi, everyone! I set a goal of reading four graphic novels in the month of August—not terribly ambitious, but considering how chaotic my reading life has been, it's actually a little demanding for me. And I'm halfway there!!! We knocked out Sunhead  last week ( so  good), and then this week, we picked a book very spontaneously and had a great time. So let's talk about it! Blackward Written and illustrated by Lawrence Lindell Young adult/adult · Graphic novel · 2023 Recommended by Earl Dizon Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · Black, weird, awkward and proud of it. Welcome to the club! Tired of feeling like you don’t belong? Join the club. It’s called the Section. You’d think a spot to chill, chat, and find community would be much easier to come by for nerdy, queer punks. But when four longtime, bookish BFFs―Lika, Amor, Lala, and Tony―can’t find what they need, they take matters into their own hands and create a space where they...

Hi hi, everyone! This last week was so busy , and this next week may be a smidge better, but not much. But the weekend has had some lovely opportunities for rest—and reading! I'm excited to share about everything today. So let's do it! Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Young adult · 2012 · Re-review ( see my original review ) Book 1 of 2 (This book · Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World ) Add it on Goodreads · · · The publisher says: · · · Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself. But against all odds, when...